UFC’s Rachel Ostovich on Greg Hardy: ‘I believe in second chances’

Bloodyelbow.com

UFC flyweight fighter Rachel Ostovich was in the headlines over the past months after falling victim to domestic abuse. Now fully recovered, she is slated to make her Octagon return against Paige VanZant for the UFC’s debut event with ESPN this month.

Also part of the card is former Dallas Cowboys defensive end turned MMA fighter Greg Hardy, who was embroiled in a domestic abuse case himself. And while many may have a problem with this, Ostovich remains unbothered by it.

”Nobody’s story is the same, nobody’s situation is the same,” Ostovich said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday (via ESPN.com). “I have nothing to do with Greg Hardy. I’m just grateful to be fighting again.

”I believe in second chances. I’m glad he’s making a turnaround. I hope the same can happen to my husband and anyone else who has made a wrong choice.”

UFC president Dana White told TSN last month that he had spoken to Ostovich before booking Hardy. From her end, Ostovich was also complimentary about how White handled the situation, although she did say that White didn’t speak to her until after Hardy had been booked for the co-main event.

”[White] was very caring and nice about it,” she said. “I know he gets a lot of heat, but there’s no fishiness surrounding that thing. He was very concerned with my situation from the very beginning. He didn’t even want me to fight, actually. I had to convince and beg him to let me fight.”

UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ 1 is scheduled to take place on January 19^th in Brooklyn, New York. It will be headlined by a flyweight title fight between T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo.