Dana White doesn't rule out Greg Hardy in UFC: 'We all make mistakes'

Hardy announced this week that he's making the move to MMA fighting

By Robby Kalland

Oct 14, 2016 at 3:47 pm ET • 1 min read

Disgraced former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy announced plans to become an mixed martial arts fighter earlier this week.

Hardy was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend in July 2014 before having charges dropped when the alleged victim refused to testify against him. The Carolina Panthers let him go after the 2014 season, and after being signed by the Dallas Cowboys, Hardy was suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league's conduct policy. Hardy played the year out for the Cowboys but was not re-signed. He was most recently arrested in September for felony possession of a controlled substance.

Hardy's legal troubles and history of domestic violence appear to have ended his NFL career, so he's now looking towards fighting mixed martial arts.

UFC president Dana White, asked about the possibility of Hardy fighting at a UFC event, insisted the company would need to see him succeed elsewhere first but would not rule out the possibility.

"I'm one of those guys who believes that we're all human beings and we all make mistakes," White told Jason Whitlock on FS1's "Speak for Yourself." "And when you make a mistake, you pay your penance -- whatever it might be -- and you should be allowed to make a living and move on in your life."

That isn't a commitment from White that Hardy would be signed by the company if he proves himself, but White is certainly not ruling out the possibility.

"I'm not saying he should be welcomed [in the UFC], but I'm saying I'm a guy that believes if you make a mistake, your life isn't over, go kill yourself or something. You made a mistake. You pay for it. When you make mistakes, it's all about how you act from there on out. How do you handle yourself after that and what do you do to fix it?" he added.

If UFC was to bring Hardy in, White would not throw him into a massive event immediately like he did with former WWE superstar CM Punk, who made his debut in less than stellar fashion against Mickey Gall at UFC 203.

"He could fight in one of these small shows and we'll see how he looks. I don't know," White said.