Derrick Lewis says he’d fight NFL vet Greg Hardy: ‘I like knocking these wife beaters out’

In MMA, Derrick Lewis is on a different level than Greg Hardy. For one, Lewis is just outside the UFC heavyweight division’s top five, while Hardy is a 3-0 amateur. But does that mean Lewis would say no to fight against the former NFL player?

According to “The Black Beast” himself, no, it doesn’t.

Hardy is expected to make his pro debut at a Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series event this summer, per a report earlier this week. The controversial figure turned to MMA in late 2016 after parting ways with the Dallas Cowboys. Many people don’t agree with Hardy’s MMA involvement because of his shaky past. He was arrested in 2014 and 2016 for domestic abuse and cocaine possession charges, respectively.

Because of that, Lewis is open to teaching a lesson to Hardy, who won all three of his amateur fights by first-round stoppage.

Lewis told TMZ on Tuesday that should a fight against him one day make sense, he’d take it.

“He’s a wife beater. I’d like to get in there with him. I like knocking these wife beaters out,” Lewis said. “Yeah, I’ll fight Greg Hardy. It’d be like vice versa of him beating all the women; I’ll be beating him like he’s a woman.

“I grew up watching my mom and step dad fight watching about every single damn day — fist fighting — for the stupid stuff. I don’t tolerate stuff like that at all.”

Before there’s any chance of Lewis vs. Hardy happening, Hardy needs to win on the Contender Series and put on a performance that warrants a call to the UFC. Then he needs to win several times to become a top contender in the division. Though heavyweight isn’t exactly the most stacked weight class the promotion has to offer, Hardy still has a long way to go.

Meanwhile, Lewis faces former title challenger Francis Ngannou at UFC 226 in July.