Greg Hardy has never been a stranger to chaotic career turns, but nothing nearly matched the scene that unfolded in Russia. His exhibition fight with Evgeny Goncharov was intended to be a new beginning, a peaceful reset away from the blazing lights of the NFL or UFC. Instead, the night turned into something far more disturbing, with the former NFL star unable to catch his breath as he returned to the corner following Round 3.

Initially, it looked like fatigue. Then, as Hardy leaned forward and signaled to his crew, the panic was impossible to ignore. The huge man wasn’t just fatigued; he was gasping for air, hands on his knees, attempting to keep himself steady while his corner called for assistance. Within seconds, the fight’s momentum had turned from competition to concern.

Greg Hardy collapses mid-fight after an asthma attack

Once seated, Greg Hardy could be heard attempting to push out a request between difficult gasps—an inhaler—as the realization dawned that this was not a typical third-round recovery. It was an asthma attack so severe that his team had no choice but to pull him from the fight immediately.

Medics raced over and held him upright as he attempted to slow down his breathing and regain control. For Hardy, the incident was a brutal reminder of a condition he has struggled with throughout his athletic career. Even in the NFL, his asthma was well known; he played, trained, and pushed through it even during his early MMA career.

However, under boxing lights, with a heavyweight rushing forward and delivering power blows for three rounds in a row, his lungs reached their limit at the worst possible time. It didn’t help that the fight had already taken a physically taxing turn. By the end of the third round, Goncharov had landed many clean shots.

And while ‘The Prince of War’ did not look to be damaged enough to fold under punches, the mix of pressure, altitude, and fatigue was obviously overpowering him. Once the inhaler request came, the fight was over. Exhibition or not, there was no coming back from that. By the time he sat on the stool, Greg Hardy had regained just enough stability to speak; the night had been cut short by something no coach could have predicted.

For a man who went from NFL Pro Bowler to UFC heavyweight and now boxing globetrotter, this chapter ended not with a punch, but with a reminder of vulnerability. Whether he continues or walks away, the collapse in Vologda will be one of the most shocking images of his combat sports career. However, it won’t be the only time he made news in 2025 for all the wrong reasons.

Hardy’s shocking arrest back in June truly shook fans

Greg Hardy’s collapse in Russia was all the more devastating because it wasn’t the first time he had been involved in an alarming incident this year. In June, he was already in the spotlight for an event that left fans anxious and wondering where his life outside of combat sports was headed. Coming off that, the scene in Vologda felt less like a one-time scare and more like part of a troubling pattern.

For the unaware, Greg Hardy was arrested in Texas in June on a charge related to an alleged family altercation, an incident that instantly made headlines. However, ‘The Prince of War’ later turned to Instagram to downplay the incident, stating that he and his family were “perfectly fine” and requesting that fans stop circulating misinformation.

He described the scenario as emotional stress that had gotten out of control, and he encouraged people to give his family space to work through it. The post included photos of him with his partner and children, intended to reassure those who had been following his story. Still, the arrest, combined with his unexpected breathing crisis in the corner on fight night, left a cloud hanging over his 2025.

Instead of discussing comeback fights or new opportunities, fans are asking if Greg Hardy is in a position to continue competing. Two significant scares in a single year, one personal and one physical, have built a narrative that he can neither punch nor power out.