Controversial free-agent defensive end Greg Hardy is putting his football career on hold to pursue a career in Mixed Martial Arts.
Hardy doesn’t have a martial arts background but has been training for several months in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to MMAFighting.com and there has already been interest in signing him.
"I'm very focused and excited to start my MMA career," he said in a statement. "I'm going to do this the right way, I can assure you of that. I'm fully committed to being as successful as I can be in this sport.”
Hardy played for the Carolina Panthers for five years. He signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys last year and had six sacks in 12 games with the team after missing the first four due to a suspension because of a domestic violence incident. Last month, he was arrested on a cocaine possession charge, but was released on $5,000 bond the next day.
Many people reacted via Twitter to the news about Hardy pursuing an MMA career.