Former Panthers, Cowboys DE Greg Hardy to pursue MMA career

Former Panthers, Cowboys DE Greg Hardy will pursue an MMA career.

Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy is putting his career on hold to attempt to be a mixed martial arts fighter, reports MMAFighting.com.

Hardy is currently a free-agent after spending last season with the Dallas Cowboys, recording six sacks in 12 games.

He was suspended the first four games of the 2015 season for conduct detrimental to the league after a domestic violence incident while playing with the Carolina Panthers in 2014.

"I'm very focused and excited to start my MMA career," Hardy 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.

According to the report, Hardy has been training for months, drawing interest from some MMA promotions.

The 28 year old was arrested last month in Richardson, Texas on a cocaine possession charge after being pulled over for a traffic violation. In a subsequent search of his vehicle, authorities found cocaine and an item containing marijuana remnants. He was later released on $5,000 bond.

He was also found guilty in 2014 of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her, but the charges were dropped when she failed to appear in court.

Hardy is expected to fight as a MMA heavyweight when he makes his debut, most likely next year, according to the report

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