Tag: Heather Hardy

2024 MMA retirement tracker: A list of those who hung up the gloves

Here’s a list of every notable retirement announced by fighters from the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and more in 2024.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently, fighters from the era who helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves in order to move on to the next chapter in life.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete, and perhaps more importantly get a payday, will continue to drive fighters back even well beyond their expiration dates.

2024 has already seen a number of notable fighters announcing they are done with the sport, and we have a list of those who have opted to walk away this year (the list will update as new retirements are announced).

Heather Hardy suffering from effects of ‘too much brain damage,’ indicates fighting career is over

Heather Hardy is out of her BKFC 61 headlining bout with Christine Ferea, but that appears to be the least of her concerns. 

[autotag]Heather Hardy[/autotag] is out of her BKFC 61 headlining bout with Christine Ferea, but that appears to be the least of her concerns.

Hardy on Monday shared a troubling health outlook in a grim Instagram post as the former boxing champion revealed “too much brain damage” from fighting has severely impacted her vision. Hardy had been set to make her BKFC debut and challenge Ferea for the promotion’s women’s flyweight championship this Saturday.

Hardy said she experienced blurred vision a few days after her title-fight loss to Amanda Serrano last August. At the time, Hardy figured she just needed time off to recover properly, six to eight months.

Hardy said financial woes pushed her to accept an offer from BKFC and after a month into training for Ferea, “everything got worse with my sight.”

“I was down to 123 pounds because I couldn’t eat, I wasn’t sleeping, I was so weak,” Hardy wrote on Instagram. “I hadn’t told anyone how bad it was, not my boyfriend, not my coaches. I thought I could make it through the 10-minute fight, but after a very light sparring session, I couldn’t see sh*t for two days. I didn’t eat or sleep Friday to Monday, and I knew I was too weak to do this sh*t. After finally seeing a doctor, he said I’ve had too many concussions.

“When you have a concussion, a piece of your brain dies and you never get it back. Imagine that? In 10 years, I’ve had too much brain damage. I can’t get anymore, or else I won’t be able to see. No running, no jogging, no jumping rope, and no getting hit in the head.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6om24Ur74_/?igsh=NzI2Yjh1cTQ4Yzll

Hardy didn’t outright announce that her combat sports career is over but indicated it was with these five words to conclude her post: “ya know what that means.”

Hardy, 42, made her professional boxing debut in August 2012 and remained unbeaten through her first 23 fights as she won WBC and WBO featherweight titles. While still at the height of her boxing career, Hardy tried her hand at mixed martial arts, going 2-2 in four fights with Bellator from 2017 to 2019.

Like boxing? Be sure to visit Boxing Junkie for all your coverage of the sweet science and follow @BoxingJunkie2 on Twitter.

BKFC 61 marks New England debut as Heather Hardy crosses over vs. Christine Ferea

BKFC heads to New England and Mohegan Sun Arena for the first time as former WBO/WBC champ Heather Hardy debuts vs. Christine Ferea.

BKFC is headed to New England for the first time.

The promotion recently officially announced Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. will mark the site of BKFC 61 on May 11. The card will be headlined by former boxing champion [autotag]Heather Hardy[/autotag] against BKFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Christine Ferea[/autotag]. It streams on BKFC+.

BKFC president David Feldman said Wednesday at a Knuckle Mania 4 pre-fight news conference he considers the bout’s winner to be “The Queen of Violence.”

No other bouts have yet been revealed.

Hardy, 42, has a 24-3 boxing record and is a former WBO and WBC international boxing champion. She most recently competed in August 2023 when she lost a title challenge against Amanda Serrano. Hardy, a New York native, fought four times in MMA, as well. She went 2-2 with all bouts under the Bellator banner.

Ferea, 41, has established herself as one of the best, if not the standalone best, pound-for-pound women in the current landscape of bareknuckle fighting. She’s 8-1 as a professional in bareknuckle and rides a six-fight winning streak into the matchup including consecutive victories over UFC alumnus Bec Rawlings.

Paul vs. Diaz medical suspensions: Jake Paul, Nate Diaz get 31 days each

The Texas commission has released a list of medical suspensions following the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz event in Dallas.

Paul vs. Diaz took place this past Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas, featuring nine boxing bouts.

In the main event, YouTuber-turned-boxer [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] defeated former UFC title challenger, [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag], by winning a unanimous decision after a hard-fought 10 rounds of action.

After the event, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation issued medical suspensions to all 18 fighters. MMA Junkie acquired the list from the commissioning body Monday. The list included suspension duration without specifics.

One fighter, William Silva, who was the only athlete to be stopped inside the distance with his fourth-round knockout loss to Ashton Sylve, received the longest suspension of all.

Scroll below to see the medical suspensions handed out to each fighter. Fighters may return to competition sooner than the allotted suspension if they are cleared by a doctor.

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Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz: Live blog, results from boxing event in Dallas

MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz event in Dallas, and you can follow along here.

DALLAS – MMA Junkie is on the scene and reporting live from tonight’s boxing event headlined by [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag].

Former UFC superstar Diaz and YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul will meet in a 185-pound boxing grudge match after a heated build that saw both camps get into a brawl during fight week. The nine-fight card at American Airlines Center also features an undisputed featherweight title bout as champion [autotag]Amanda Serrano[/autotag] meets [autotag]Heather Hardy[/autotag] for the second time. UFC veterans [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Avila[/autotag] also clash on the main card.

The event begins with preliminary bouts at 6:30 p.m. ET, and the DAZN/ESPN+ pay-per-view main card kicks off at 9 p.m. ET. Keep it locked here for up-to-the-minute results and behind-the-scenes updates throughout the evening.

For complete coverage of the card, check out MMA Junkie’s event page for Paul vs. Diaz.

Video: Jake Paul, Nate Diaz come alive at pre-fight news conference

Hear what Jake Paul and Nate Diaz had to say ahead of their boxing match Saturday in Dallas.

DALLAS – [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] face off in a boxing match Saturday at American Airlines Center and were able to get a few choice words in for one another at Thursday’s pre-fight news conference.

At The Factory in Deep Ellum, Paul and Diaz fielded questions from reporters including MMA Junkie a little over 48 hours out from their 10-round match. Words escalated into actions during following the faceoff at the conclusion of the news conference, as punches were thrown between the camps.

The news conference also featured featherweight champion [autotag]Amanda Serrano[/autotag] and [autotag]Heather Hardy[/autotag], who face off in a 10-round title co-main event Saturday. The always captivating “Problem Bot” also made an appearance.

Check out news conference highlights in the video above.

Fight Week: Jake Paul to return against former UFC star Nate Diaz

Fight Week: Jake Paul will return against former UFC star Nate Diaz on pay-per-view Saturday in Dallas.

FIGHT WEEK

Jake Paul is scheduled to return to the ring against former UFC star Nate Diaz on Saturday in Dallas, the social media star’s first fight since Tommy Fury handed him his first loss. Also, Amanda Serrano will face Hearth Hardy in a rematch.

JORDAN WHITE (14-1, 10 KOs) VS. ERIDSON GARCIA (17-0, 11 KOs)

  • Date: Friday, Aug. 4
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Wind Creek Events Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Junior lightweight (130 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Odds: NA
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Guido Schramm, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: White UD
  • Background: ShoBox: The New Generation features two 130-pound prospects. White, 25, is a slick boxer-puncher from Washington, D.C. He has won 10 consecutive fights since losing a unanimous decision to future title contender Adam Lopez in a six-rounder in 2017. White last fought in August, when he defeated journeyman Derrick Murray by a unanimous decision. Garcia is a 29-year-old southpaw from the Dominican Republic. He’s coming off a seventh-round knockout of another journeyman, Gabriel Smith, a week after White beat Murray. Also, Paul Kroll (10-0-1, 6 KO) will face Guido Schramm (16-1-1, 9 KO) in a 154-pound bout.

 

JAKE PAUL (6-1, 4 KOs) VS. NATE DIAZ (DEBUT)

  • Date: Saturday, Aug. 5
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
  • TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
  • Division: Cruiserweight (185-pound catch weight)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Odds: Diaz 3-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Amanda Serrano vs. Heather Hardy, featherweights (for Serrano’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles); Shadasia Green vs. Olivia Curry, super middleweight
  • Prediction: Paul KO 4
  • Background: YouTuber-turned-boxer and promoter Jake Paul will return to the ring for the first time since Tommy Fury handed him his first loss, a split-decision in an eight-round bout on Feb. 26 in Saudi Arabia. The bout will be the 26-year-old Cleveland native’s first scheduled 10-rounder. Diaz, a former UFC star, is making his boxing debut. The 38-year-old from Stockton, California, is 22-13 (5 KOs) in mixed martial arts. He’s a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu but his striking improved throughout his MMA career. He’s not a power puncher, relying instead on volume punching to wear down his opponents and win fights. Diaz last fought this past September, when he defeated Tony Ferguson by submission. Also on the card, Amanda Serrano (44-2-1, 30 KOs) will defend her undisputed 126-pound championship in a rematch with Heather Hardy (24-2, 4 KOs). Serrano defeated Hardy by a one-sided decision in a featherweight title-unification bout in 2019. The 34-year-old native of Puerto Rico has won two consecutive fights – one-sided decisions over Sarah Mahfoud and Erika Cruz – since losing a close decision to 135-pound champ Katie Taylor in April of last year. Hardy, 41, is 2-0 since back-to-back losses against Serrano and Jessica Camara.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

FRIDAY

  • Padraig McCrory vs. Steed Woodall, super middleweights, Belfast, Northern Ireland (ESPN+)
  • Derrieck Cuevas vs. Alberto Mosquera, welterweights, Panama City, Panama (ESPN+)
  • Elijah Pierce vs. Mike Plania, junior featherweights, Atlanta (DAZN)

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Fight Week: Jake Paul to return against former UFC star Nate Diaz

Fight Week: Jake Paul will return against former UFC star Nate Diaz on pay-per-view Saturday in Dallas.

FIGHT WEEK

Jake Paul is scheduled to return to the ring against former UFC star Nate Diaz on Saturday in Dallas, the social media star’s first fight since Tommy Fury handed him his first loss. Also, Amanda Serrano will face Hearth Hardy in a rematch.

JORDAN WHITE (14-1, 10 KOs) VS. ERIDSON GARCIA (17-0, 11 KOs)

  • Date: Friday, Aug. 4
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Wind Creek Events Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Junior lightweight (130 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Odds: NA
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Guido Schramm, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: White UD
  • Background: ShoBox: The New Generation features two 130-pound prospects. White, 25, is a slick boxer-puncher from Washington, D.C. He has won 10 consecutive fights since losing a unanimous decision to future title contender Adam Lopez in a six-rounder in 2017. White last fought in August, when he defeated journeyman Derrick Murray by a unanimous decision. Garcia is a 29-year-old southpaw from the Dominican Republic. He’s coming off a seventh-round knockout of another journeyman, Gabriel Smith, a week after White beat Murray. Also, Paul Kroll (10-0-1, 6 KO) will face Guido Schramm (16-1-1, 9 KO) in a 154-pound bout.

 

JAKE PAUL (6-1, 4 KOs) VS. NATE DIAZ (DEBUT)

  • Date: Saturday, Aug. 5
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
  • TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
  • Division: Cruiserweight (185-pound catch weight)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Odds: Diaz 3-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Amanda Serrano vs. Heather Hardy, featherweights (for Serrano’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles); Shadasia Green vs. Olivia Curry, super middleweight
  • Prediction: Paul KO 4
  • Background: YouTuber-turned-boxer and promoter Jake Paul will return to the ring for the first time since Tommy Fury handed him his first loss, a split-decision in an eight-round bout on Feb. 26 in Saudi Arabia. The bout will be the 26-year-old Cleveland native’s first scheduled 10-rounder. Diaz, a former UFC star, is making his boxing debut. The 38-year-old from Stockton, California, is 22-13 (5 KOs) in mixed martial arts. He’s a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu but his striking improved throughout his MMA career. He’s not a power puncher, relying instead on volume punching to wear down his opponents and win fights. Diaz last fought this past September, when he defeated Tony Ferguson by submission. Also on the card, Amanda Serrano (44-2-1, 30 KOs) will defend her undisputed 126-pound championship in a rematch with Heather Hardy (24-2, 4 KOs). Serrano defeated Hardy by a one-sided decision in a featherweight title-unification bout in 2019. The 34-year-old native of Puerto Rico has won two consecutive fights – one-sided decisions over Sarah Mahfoud and Erika Cruz – since losing a close decision to 135-pound champ Katie Taylor in April of last year. Hardy, 41, is 2-0 since back-to-back losses against Serrano and Jessica Camara.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

FRIDAY

  • Padraig McCrory vs. Steed Woodall, super middleweights, Belfast, Northern Ireland (ESPN+)
  • Derrieck Cuevas vs. Alberto Mosquera, welterweights, Panama City, Panama (ESPN+)
  • Elijah Pierce vs. Mike Plania, junior featherweights, Atlanta (DAZN)

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Bellator parts ways with 18 fighters: Daniel Straus, Tywan Claxton, Liam McGeary included

Bellator MMA has parted ways with over a dozen fighters, including more than a handful of notable names.

Eighteen fighters are no longer on the Bellator roster.

Among those who have parted ways includes former featherweight champion Daniel Straus, former light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary, boxer-turned-MMA-fighter Heather Hardy, and former UFC fighter Bec Rawlings. The list also includes two fighters who never got to compete after signing with the promotion because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s unclear whether each fighter was released, left on their own accord, or elected not to re-sign with the promotion. However, a Bellator official recently informed MMA Junkie that the promotion is moving on without the 18 fighters listed below.

Fight Week: Emanuel Navarette returns against Christopher Diaz

FIGHT WEEK HARD-HITTING VOLUME PUNCHER EMANUEL NAVARRETE IS SCHEDULED TO DEFEND HIS NEWLY WON FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST CHRISTOPHER DIAZ ON ESPN AND ESPN+. *** EMANUEL NAVARRETE (32-1, 27 KOs) VS. CHRISTOPHER DIAZ (26-2, 16 KOs) When : Saturday, …

FIGHT WEEK

HARD-HITTING VOLUME PUNCHER EMANUEL NAVARRETE IS SCHEDULED TO DEFEND HIS NEWLY WON FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST CHRISTOPHER DIAZ ON ESPN AND ESPN+.

***

EMANUEL NAVARRETE (32-1, 27 KOs)
VS. CHRISTOPHER DIAZ (26-2, 16 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uzlw2j-7v8

  • When: Saturday, April 24
  • Where: Silver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee, Fla.
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweight
  • At stake: Navarrete’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Edgar Berlanga vs. Demond Nicholson, super middleweights; Josue Vargas vs. Willie Shaw, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Navarrete UD
  • Background: Navarrete is coming off a close decision over previously unbeaten Ruben Villa to win his title last October, making him a two-division champion. Villa went down twice, which proved to be the difference in the scoring. The 26-year-old Mexican is a high-volume puncher with power. He had stopped his previous five opponents, not counting an unofficial fight during the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico. Navarrete has said he wants to unify the 126-pound titles. Diaz is a capable boxer-puncher who has fallen short in his biggest fights. The Puerto Rican, also 26, lost a wide decision in a competitive fight against Masayuki Ito for a vacant 130-pound title in 2018. Then, after moving down to 126, he was outclassed by Shakur Stevenson and lost another one-sided decision the following year. He’s coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Jason Sanchez last June. Super middleweight prospect Edgar Berlanga, facing Demond Nicholson, will be seeking his 17th knockout in as many fights on the undercard.

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***

JELENA MRDJENOVICH (41-10-2, 19 KOs)
VS. ERIKA CRUZ HERNANDEZ (12-1, 3 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-sHpROifBg

  • When: Thursday, April 22
  • Where: United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
  • TV/Stream: NBC Sports Net
  • Division: Featherweight
  • At stake: For Mrdjenovich’s WBA title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Juan Pablo Romero vs. Deiner Berrio, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Mrdjenovich UD
  • Background: Mrdjenovich vs. Hernandez became the main event when the scheduled main event between Jermaine Franklin and Stephan Shaw fell out because Franklin tested positive for COVID-19. Mrdjenovich will be making the seventh defense of the title she won by outpointing Edith Matthysse in March 26, which earned her a major belt in a third division. The 38-year-old Canadian, a native of Edmonton, is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Iranda Paola Torres this past December in Los Angeles. Hernandez, a 30-year-old southpaw from Mexico City, will be fighting for a major title for the first time. She has fought outside her native country only once. She last fought in February, when he outpointed Leticia Uribe in Tijuana. Her only loss came in her second pro fight.

Also fighting this week: Heather Hardy (22-1, 4 KOs) of Brooklyn faces Jessica Camara (7-2, 0 KOs) of Canada in an eight-round lightweight fight on Friday in Tampa, Fla. (UFC Fight Pass). Also on Friday, in Barcelona, Spain, Sandor Martin (37-2, 13 KOs) of Spain takes on Kay Prospere (14-1-1, 7 KOs) of the U.K. in a scheduled 12-round bout (DAZN). And on Saturday, in Osaka, Japan, Kenshiro Teraji (17-0, 10 KOs) defends his WBC junior flyweight title against Tetsuya Hisada (34-10-2. 20 KOs).