‘The NFL Is a Very Big Crossover With UFC’- Dana White Talks About Bringing Athletes From the NFL to UFC

UFC President Dana White always does everything he can to take the promotion to new heights. Ever since White became the president, he has applied many successful strategies to bring in more fans to UFC.

One of them is bringing athletes from different sports to the promotion. Over the years, a few athletes from NFL have turned their attention towards one of the biggest MMA promotions in the world after their NFL career.

Recently, White appeared in an episode of Raiders: Talk of the Nation with Raiders host Kristine Leahy. He discussed many important things about UFC and also talked about his meeting with the Raiders owner Mark Davis.

While talking about the crossovers, White said, “Yeah, well, we have had a lot of crossovers with football from Hardy to OSP who played for Tennessee, and a lot of other guys who have played football. It’s funny when you think about crossover not only with athletes but fans. The NFL is a very big crossover with UFC.”

On being asked about any specific players from NFL that do well in UFC, White replied by saying, “Some linebackers, yeah, I mean, who’s tougher than linebackers? Who gets hits more than a linebacker? They are fast, they are powerful, they are athletic.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Five Impressive Records Held by Conor McGregor In and Out of the UFC

While talking about the crossover, White talked about a former NFL athlete Greg Hardy who has a decent career in the heavyweight division of UFC. Here’s a look at his run in the promotion so far.

Dana White Contender Series’s Prospect Greg Hardy

Dana White Contender Series is a show where the UFC president hunts for new MMA talent for his promotion. One such fighter is the former California Panther’s defensive end, Greg Hardy.

The former NFL athlete after two successful first-round knockout wins in the DWCS made his UFC debut in 2019. Unfortunately, Hardy was disqualified in his debut after he landed an illegal knee on his opponent.

Interestingly, ‘Prince Of War’ secured a win in both of his next fights in the first round via a knockout. He was 2-1 in 2020. However, Hardy is currently on a two-fight skid.

Furthermore, ‘Prince Of War’ for his tenth UFC bout will take on Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 270. The pay-per-view is headlined by the much anticipated heavyweight title fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.

Hardy is yet to be included in the top-15 of the heavyweight division of UFC. However, his run in the promotion so far has been a decent one, and a win in his next fight might surely cement his position on the heavyweight roster.

What do you make out of White’s words? What are your thoughts on Hardy’s UFC career? Let us know in the comments below.

ALSO READ: ‘Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns’- Khamzat Chimaev Goes Live on Instagram and Sends a Message to UFC Welterweight Division