Following her well-received pro debut at the Madison Square Garden nearly four months ago, undefeated boxer-turned-MMA fighter Heather Hardy is set to return to the cage on October 20 on her second MMA fight under Bellator.
Hardy is matched against Kristina Williams, a fighter from Oklahoma, who is making her pro debut fight. Williams has a 3-0 amateur record with a taekwondo blackbelt.
Hardy acknowledged that the first round of her pro debut fight against Alice Yauger in June was a โbig adjustment.โ It was the first time she โfelt challengedโ in the first round โin a long timeโ, she added during a pre-fight publicity event in Brooklyn. She was knocked out in the first round but managed to regain her footing and won by referee stoppage in the third round.
โFor this fight, Iโm working on controlling distance and range,โ Hardy said.
Her team is not taking things for granted. โHer opponent is undefeated, so she has experience,โ said Devon Cormack, Hardyโs boxing and kickboxing coach.
Hardy and Williams are in the main card of Bellator 185 at the Moheganย Sun in Connecticut, which is headlined by the middleweight bout between Alexander Shlemenko and Gegard Mousasi, as well as the welterweight bout between Zak Bucia and Neiman Gracie.
โI was surprised when I got the offer (to fight Hardy). Itโs awesomeโ Williams said in an interview with FloCombat. Influenced by her brother, Williams took up mixed martial arts after college in 2012 and notes that she has more versatility than Hardy. โI am more versatile. Iโve been rolling for a long time. Iโm confident on the ground but Iโm also confident standing up. Iโve been doing kickboxing for a long time,โ she said.
Hardyโs main card event is a far cry from her boxing events. Even with 20 professional boxing fights and an undefeated record, Hardy was never in the main card, and has just one televised bout. โI love boxing, Iโd love to fight for a world title, but no one wants to pay me,โ she laughed.
Ana Julaton, who has also crossed over to MMA from boxing, and is fighting her first bout with Bellator, said she is interested in fighting Hardy. โI have a name, I have a brand. Heather Hardy has the same thing, so letโs bring it onโ she said. Julaton has a 14-4-3 boxing record and a 2-2 pro MMA record.
Julaton said a match between her and Hardy would be a “mega fight”. โItโs something that hasnโt been done before and I think thatโs something that people can gravitate towards, and I think it can be an opportunity to open up a lot more doors for female fighters,โ she said.
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