Home is Brooklyn, but Ireland is in her upbringing and in her heart
Heather Hardy has never been to her ancestral home, but she is itching to get over and put on a show for fight fans. Boxing or MMA, she cares not.
On the latest episode of TKO, Hardy joined Chris Lloyd and Carl Frampton to talk about her boxing career and find out why she had left boxing behind to become a Mixed Martial Artist.
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Hardy is 2-2 in her professional Mixed Martial Arts career and lost her most recent bout to Taylor Turner at Madison Square Garden during Bellator 222.
She is determined to press on with MMA but is still the WBO featherweight champion – having won that belt in October 2018 – and has not entirely ruled out a return to boxing. If she can onto a decent card, in either sport, in Ireland, she’ll make space in her schedule and pack her bags.
Asked about a potential fight in Ireland, Hardy (22-0 and a reigning world champion in boxing) declared:
“Oh my God, yes. That is where my family are from; Dublin.
“My grandmother is from there and she came over here [to America]. I know Bellator has a show in September so I’m thinking of bothering them about it…
“They put on great shows at Bellator; there are no easy fights. They give me names [to fight[ and I’m like, ‘Ugghh!'”
In Frampton, Hardy would have a vocal fan in the front seat at any Bellator event, in Dublin or Belfast. The MMA promotion confirmed, earlier this year, that there would be a big event at the 3 Arena. Having recently signed 16 Irish fighters to deals, there would be plenty of local talents to place on a card, in and around Hardy.
Lloyd also threw up the notion of Hardy donning the boxing gloves again to defend that WBO featherweight belt on the undercard of a Frampton fight.
“That’s a great night,” Frampton replied. “Why not?”
Gutted to see @HeatherHardyBox lose at the weekend, but ultimately she's a boxer who had to switch to MMA because she was being paid a farcical amount, even when selling plenty of tickets. Fingers crossed we'll see her back in the ring soon on a @RealCFrampton undercard! https://t.co/x0S3EYDprP
— Chris Lloyd (@ChrisLloydTV) June 16, 2019
Given the support the likes of Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington receive from Irish fight fans, a bout on these shores – boxing or MMA – would draw a lot of interest.
Wear the Irish tricolour shorts, as she has done frequently in the past, and she’ll be off to a flyer before a bell is even rung.
