From football to MMA.

One common criticism of MMA is that it does not attract the best athletes in the world. That criticism will likely continue to have merit for some time. There is no doubt that the best athletes in America (depending on your definition of athlete) opt for more traditional sports. The NFL has arguably the greatest talent pool at its disposal.

In recent years the UFC has began featuring NFL-caliber athletes, and a new acquisition could be days away. After three amateur wins, Greg Hardy will be making his professional MMA debut on UFC president’s Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series on June 12.

Hardy will fight Brandon Sayles, who is 5-1 as a professional, the only loss coming against UFC veteran Chase Gormley.

Hardy has something of a controversial history in athletics. Originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers, he made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and was second-team All-Pro. His best ability was rushing the quarterback.

In 2014, Hardy was arrested on domestic violence charges and later found guilty of assaulting a female and making communicating threats. Both offenses were prosecuted as misdemeanors, and Hardy was given a suspended 60-day jail sentence, plus 18 months of probation.

The highly publicized case went to appeal, and Hardy missed almost all of the 2014 season and a handful of games in 2015.

Ultimately, the charges were dismissed and expunged from his record, as the victim failed to appear in court. However, details from Hardy’s accuser, Nicole Holder, can be read in TIME magazine.

Hardy currently trains out of American Top Team in Florida. All of his victories have been knockouts, and he boasts an average bout duration of just 47 seconds.

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