5 fighters whose UFC runs could be over after UFC 264
UFC 264 is all set to be one of the biggest UFC events of 2021, with a main event of Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier and a loaded undercard underneath it. But with the UFC seemingly on a constant cutting spree, are all of UFC 264’s fighters safe?
For as big an event as it promises to be, UFC 264 could also mark the end of the line for a number of fighters in terms of their runs with the UFC.
With a number of potentially struggling fighters competing on the card, here are five UFC fighters whose time with the promotion could come to an end at UFC 264.
#5 Greg Hardy – fights Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264
Despite a controversial background, former NFL star Greg Hardy arrived in the UFC in early 2019 with a lot of hype behind him.
A high-end athlete with seemingly explosive power in his hands, Hardy trucked his first three opponents, finishing all of them inside a minute via KO or TKO. The UFC fans didn’t like him, but it looked like he’d quickly develop into a dangerous fighter.
But in the two-and-a-half years that have followed, that hasn’t really been the case at all.
Hardy has picked up four wins in the UFC, but none of them came against genuine contenders, and none really came via highlight-reel knockouts either.
Along the way, he’s also picked up three losses, as well as an odd No Contest against Ben Sosoli after he was seen using an asthma inhaler in his corner between rounds.
The Prince of War was supposed to have unrivaled punching power, yet his hands have rarely looked all that dangerous. As for his vaunted NFL-level athleticism? That hasn’t helped him all that much either, as he has a tendency to gas out and looked completely like a fish out of water on the ground against Marcin Tybura in 2020.
Add in the fact that UFC fans still greatly dislike him – booing him out of the building every time he sets foot into the octagon – and this is an experiment that the promotion probably doesn’t need to continue with.
So if Hardy loses to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the UFC pull the plug on his burgeoning career entirely.