HEATHER HARDY says she is in love with MMA – after just one date – after making her blood-soaked debut in her Bellator New York win over Alice Yauger.
The unbeaten WBC International super-bantamweight boxing champion stepped into the octagon for the first time and punched her way to dominant third-round win.
The 35-year-old single mum needed SEVEN stitches to a cut above her left eye but is already eyeing up more fights in MMA to run alongside the boxing career.
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Hardy said: “I think I just fell in love. I’m hooked. I’m so happy right now. I don’t even care I have stitches in my face.
“I just worked so hard for this and a lot of people thought I couldn’t do it, and to do it feels so incredible.
“I will never leave boxing, but I’m definitely excited to get back in the gym and work on my game and learn more tricks to show off in the cage.”
“There are girls I still want to fight in boxing. It’s not something I plan on walking away from. I want to be as active as I can be.
“I want to take the fights that makes sense, the fights maybe people want to see, fights people want to see me fight. I’m open to talk, whether it’s boxing or MMA. Let’s do whatever makes sense. I like to fight.”
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The modest star ruled out challenging for a Bellator title in her second MMA fight but she certainly feels – after her brutal introduction – that he is destined for gold.
She said: “It’s violent with elbows and knee kicks and stuff. But when you see what’s technically happening, you can appreciate the sport of it and what goes into becoming a champion.
“I feel that I have it in me to do that.”
“It would be so disrespectful for me at 1-0 in MMA to talk about fighting for a title.
“Even in boxing I don’t run around saying I deserve anything.
“When the organisation thinks I’m ready, that’s when we go.”
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