December 6, 2018, 8:59 PM. He was once again released two weeks later after the UFC received audio and video evidence posted by Silva’s ex-wife. Earlier this week, we learned that former NFL star Greg Hardy, who has a history of domestic violence, will be sharing the Jan. 19 UFC on ESPN+ 1 card with Rachael Ostovich, who is a very recent survivor of domestic violence. Greg Hardy fight highlights MMA's troubling history of violence outside the octagon, The UFC is persevering as it always has: by leaning into the chaos. "I have to use this platform. This website uses cookies. “Her take was, ‘His story isn’t my story. Sign up to The Recap, our weekly email of editors’ picks. Of course, the way we always react is morally first then the business second.”. Hardy denied the accusations but was convicted on two counts of domestic violence and was sentenced to 18 months probation and a two-month suspended jail sentence. Rachael Ostovich on Monday defended UFC president Dana White to critics of putting her on the same fight card as Greg Hardy. White has spoken to Rachael since Hardy … According to a study of arrest records since 2003 by HBO Real Sports, MMA fighters have a domestic violence arrest rate (750 per 100,000) more than double the general US population (360 per 100,000) and far ahead of NFL players (210 per 100,000), who are often depicted as being at the heart of the problem. Period. I'm just grateful to be fighting again. 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Hardy appealed the sentence and managed to get the charges expunged from his record in 2015 after his ex-girlfriend failed to appear at court to give testimony. ': Female coach delivers perfect response to interview question, 'Lock him up!' Anyone can be sensitive about anything. And now he is ready to step up and fight in the octagon for the first time. Hardy, a former NFL defensive lineman was found guilty and arrested for assaulting a woman in 2014. UFC Booked “Man Found Guilty On Domestic Violence” Greg Hardy and “Victim” Rachael Ostovich For The Same Fight Card! After this, Rachael was into the limelight for her controversy with Greg Hardy. Rachael Ostovich and Greg Hardy are both in action this Saturday Night at UFC Fight Night Brooklyn, with Ostovich facing Paige VanZant and Hardy battling Allen Crowder.. Hardy has had issues with domestic violence in the past, but Ostovich says everything went … In an attempt to stifle journalists from asking further questions about Hardy, the promotion shielded the fighter from fight-week media obligations. MMA fighters are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for domestic violence than NFL players. The fights in question are the ones involving new UFC heavyweight prospect and former NFL star, Greg Hardy and flyweight prospect Rachael Ostovich. New, 213 comments. “I was so scared I wanted to die. Everybody’s story is different. Both Hardy and Ostovich have huge fights for their respective careers in Brooklyn on Saturday night. ‍♀️ This is that time. Fight week in full effect. I believe in second chances. He later signed on with the Dallas Cowboys but was later given a 10-game suspension by the NFL in relation to the alleged assault. In 2014, Greg Hardy was found guilty for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, and Rachael Ostovich was recently involved in a domestic violence incident with … Considering the fighters' respective histories with domestic violence, the UFC should have thought twice before putting Hardy and Ostovich on the same card. Ostovich began her … his Saturday former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy — a man once convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend — will make his official UFC debut. Most recently, Abdul Razak Alhassan was indicted for the alleged rape of two women in March 2018. "Nobody's story is the same, nobody's situation is the same," Ostovich said on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show. Greg Hardy spent one season with the Dallas Cowboys before switching to MMA. Rachael Ostovich Has No Ill Will For Greg Hardy Many were up in arms when it was announced that Greg Hardy would be on the same card as Ostovich. Rachel Ostovich is unbothered being on the same fight card as Greg Hardy, who has drawn controversy because of his domestic violence past. Seemingly shunned from football, Hardy turned his attention to MMA. Hardy … At UFC Brooklyn media day, Rachael Ostovich discusses dealing with the emotions of being a domestic abuse victim during training camp, the controversy of Greg Hardy being on … This hotel is only so big and we're on the same card. READ MORE: UFC criticized for booking disgraced former NFL player Hardy’s debut on Rachael Ostovich card. ... Rachael Ostovich has an estimated net worth of $1.4m as of 2021. When journalists finally came round to asking White about the UFC’s position on Hardy, the UFC boss blamed the media for stirring up controversy. Sometimes you gotta be a beauty and a BEAST! Her husband, Arnold Berdon, was. Dana White: Rachael Ostovich is 'cool with' accused abuser Greg Hardy being on her fight card. A lot has been made of Greg Hardy being on the same card as Rachael Ostovich at UFC on ESPN+1 this weekend (Sat., January 19, 2019). Hardy, who recently transitioned to mixed martial arts when his NFL career ended in 2015, will make his official UFC debut on the organization’s television debut with ESPN+ on January 19, though some sections of the MMA media have questioned the UFC’s wisdom in booking Hardy to compete on the same card as Rachael Ostovich, who faces Paige VanZant at the same event. When it comes to domestic violence, it appears that UFC thinks silence is golden. After two consecutive knockout wins on the show, the UFC was ready to announce Hardy’s official debut. “He looked me in my eyes and he told me he was going to kill me,” she said. To add to the controversy, Hardy is scheduled to compete on the same fight card as Rachel Ostovich, who suffered a broken orbital bone during an alleged attack by her husband. The event takes place in Brooklyn, New York. UFC did not respond to a request for comment on this story. T his Saturday former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy — a man once convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend — will make his official UFC debut. This news was met with immediate backlash, as many members of the MMA community […] Dana White discusses the decision to have Greg Hardy compete on January 19th, the same card as Rachael Ostovich, a recent victim of domestic violence. The woman testified that Hardy threw her on a futon filled with guns and placed his hands on her throat. UFC flyweight Rachael Ostovich, who fights on Jan. 19 in Brooklyn, New York, told ESPN on Monday that she is comfortable with Greg Hardy competing on the same card. “Someone truly sorry who seeks to help and genuinely make amends is very different from a person who commits extraordinary violence and not only takes no responsibility for it but takes position that the person just deserved it.”. I basically told him like: 'Hey, I have no negative feeling towards you. It was reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the former NFL player Greg Hardy will probably make his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 143, on January 19 th, 2019. Plain and simple, it's a bad idea. I'd be ignorant not to, to share my story and help anybody that's watching.". While Ostovich is willing to excuse Hardy, he remains a public relations concern and a controversial figure for the UFC. arrested for attempted second-degree murder, accused of attacking and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, threw her on a futon filled with guns and placed his hands on her throat, appealed the sentence and managed to get the charges expunged from his record, despite allegations of domestic or sexual violence, indicted for the alleged rape of two women in March 2018, White doubled down on the promotion’s baffling decision, a study of arrest records since 2003 by HBO Real Sports. The UFC is yet to comment on Alhassan’s case. FRIDAY NEWS DIGEST 1/18: Rachael Ostovich talks about meeting Greg Hardy, Dana White won’t commit to future of male flyweights, Khabib doesn’t want … The UFC’s willingness to promote Hardy on a variety of their platforms, including their highly anticipated debut on ESPN+, highlights the gaping inconsistencies in their domestic violence policies. UFC flyweight Rachael Ostovich said she has "nothing to do with Greg Hardy" and that she is "just grateful to be fighting again." Hardy faces Allen Crowder in the night's co-main event in his full UFC debut following a pair of devastating knockout wins on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. Gandy acknowledged that the charges were ultimately dropped but said that’s “not the same as not having done it,” adding that abusers who do not reckon with what they’ve done are less likely to be rehabilitated in the long run. "When the whole Greg Hardy incident popped up and flooded my phone and my life, it was weighing heavy on my heart that I've gotta reach out to this guy," she explained. The inclusion of Ostovich and Hardy on the same card, given their recent histories with alleged domestic violence offenses, led to criticism of the UFC from some quarters, who believed it was insensitive to include Ostovich, who suffered an alleged domestic abuse attack from her husband Arnold Berdon in November last year. "I knew I was gonna see him, I knew I was gonna bump into him. Hardy spent six season in the NFL, playing for Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys © AFP / GRANT HALVERSON, Subscribe to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you, © Getty Images / Christian Petersen | © Instagram / rachaelostovich, Who’ll hit the big time in The Big Apple? But, speaking to ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Ostovich revealed she actually pursued a meeting with Hardy at the fighter hotel in Brooklyn to clear the air with Hardy, a former NFL star who was thrown out of the Dallas Cowboys after being found guilty of assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2014, but had his charges dropped after she failed to appear in court for the appeal. You don’t bounce back from putting your hands on a woman.”, White maintained his stance for several months. Kill me.’”. By December 2018, White’s stance on domestic violence had dramatically changed from his zero-tolerance approach. Despite the backlash over Hardy, the UFC added fuel to the fire when it told reporters at a press conference in December — which took place the same day that the Hardy fight news broke — that they were only allowed to ask questions about the fighters competing at the upcoming UFC 231. "I have nothing to do with Greg Hardy. '", Ostovich explained that Hardy's reaction was "very genuine and gracious" ad that she "could just see the relief coming off of both of us. Despite those wins, the UFC opted instead to sign him to a developmental deal and placed him in a tune-up fight outside of the organization to get him ready for the big show. But, speaking to ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Ostovich revealed she actually pursued a meeting with Hardy at the fighter hotel in Brooklyn to clear the air with Hardy, a former NFL star who was thrown out of the Dallas Cowboys after being found guilty of assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2014, but had his charges dropped after she failed to appear in court for the appeal. ", READ MORE: ‘I want to use UFC platform’ Rachael Ostovich on why she wants to fight in Brooklyn. [Hardy] is on the UFC roster. And if White believes in second chances for Hardy, he doesn’t seem keen to talk about it in any depth. And the Hawaiian, who joined the UFC after a stint on The Ultimate Fighter last year, said that while she's become a reluctant role model, she's happy to use her platform - and her situation - to help others. “I hope the same can happen to my husband and anyone else who has made a wrong choice.”. Been that way in the UFC since we started here. , A post shared by Rachael Ostovich (@rachaelostovich) on Jan 15, 2019 at 6:05pm PST, "I can't say, word-for-word, but we were both very relieved to speak to each other, face to face, and finally move forward.". You can make an issue about everything.”. He followed those wins with his first professional victory, and signed a developmental deal with the UFC to compete on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. The UFC’s decision to do business with Hardy and promote him on a fight card featuring an alleged victim of assault emphasizes the promotion’s tone-deaf approach to handling domestic violence and its apparent disregard for fighters’ violent pasts. White has … Rachael Ostovich and Greg Hardy Getty Images (2) More On: ufc Demetrious Johnson will leave 'the best' question unanswered after UFC exit TMZSports.com Greg Hardy 's 1st UFC opponent says he has extra motivation to destroy the ex-NFL star -- telling TMZ Sports he wants to get the victory to honor Rachael Ostovich. When you can’t have no but your fight week body coming through so it’s worth it. And Ostovich said both fighters were happy and relieved to have had their impromptu meeting in the hotel to put any lingering awkwardness aside so they could both focus on their respective fights. I have no problem fighting on the same card as this guy.’ He didn’t have anything to do with Rachael Ostovich, so she was totally cool with it.”, Ostovich has since shared her thoughts on Greg Hardy in an interview with ESPN, stating that believes in “second chances.”, “I’m glad he’s making a turnaround,” she said. Since this whole thing happened [with Ray Rice], we’re beefing up our policies with putting your hands on a woman. It was later reported she had settled a civil suit with Hardy. When asked about the UFC’s decision to place Hardy on the same fight card as Ostovich, White doubled down on the promotion’s baffling decision: “I called Rachael Ostovich and talked to her, walked her through the situation,” White said. "I'm hoping that through my life, through my struggles, that people can see that I'm just like them, and we can all relate to each other and help each other," she said. In response to the reports, the Mixed Martial Arts Journalist Association released a statement on its website confirming that several of its members felt as though they could not ask questions freely. UFC flyweight Rachael Ostovich had just finished an interview for her fight at UFC on ESPN+ 1 when she ran into Greg Hardy. Last year, Kim A Gandy, CEO and president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence spoke to the Guardian about Hardy’s case. A professional since 2017, she most notably competed in the UFC and Invicta Fighting Championships. Controversy with Greg Hardy. Earlier this week, the UFC made some extremely negative headlines when it booked controversial heavyweight Greg Hardy on the same card as Rachael Ostovich… Domestic violence victim and UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich looked to clear the air with fellow fighter - and alleged domestic abuser - Greg Hardy ahead of their bouts at UFC Brooklyn this Saturday. Dana White discusses the decision to have Greg Hardy compete on January 19th, the same card as Rachael Ostovich, a recent victim of domestic violence. Lol #throwback #postfightpic, A post shared by Rachael Ostovich (@rachaelostovich) on Jan 9, 2019 at 9:53am PST. But the UFC’s actual actions tell an entirely different tale. NFL pariah Greg Hardy will make his full UFC debut in January at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on a card featuring Rachael Ostovich’s women’s flyweight clash with Paige VanZant. Her husband, Arnold Berdon, was arrested for attempted second-degree murder but was later charged with second degree assault. Dana White once said ‘you don’t bounce back from putting your hands on a woman’. Ariel Helwani breaks down Greg Hardy's resume and explains why he thinks Hardy shouldn't be on the same UFC Fight Night card as Rachael Ostovich. Jason Owens. UFC president Dana White says the promotion consulted female flyweight Rachael Ostovich, the victim of a recent domestic violence assault, prior to booking heavyweight Greg Hardy … Jan 7, 2019 UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich, who was allegedly attacked by her husband in an act of domestic voilence, said she is comfortable with Greg Hardy being on the same card for the UFC … UFC shows spectacular misjudgment placing Greg Hardy on same card as Rachael Ostovich. Hardy (3-0), a former defensive end with the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, will compete against Allen Crowder (9-3), UFC president Dana White told ESPN. Read full article. In the wake of NFL running back Ray Rice assaulting his fiancée in 2014, UFC president Dana White took a strong stance against domestic violence: “There’s one thing that you never bounce back from and that’s putting your hands on a woman. Ostovich was recently a … To add to the controversy, Hardy is scheduled to compete on the same fight card as Rachel Ostovich, who suffered a broken orbital bone during an alleged attack by her husband. Rachael Ostovich assures Greg Hardy 'there's no negative' while meeting him at UFC Brooklyn Rachael Ostovich before UFC on ESPN+ 1: 'I already feel like I won' just by fighting Arnold Berdon allegedly heard threatening Rachael Ostovich's life in disturbing cell phone video At the time of the incident, Hardy was playing for the Carolina Panthers. He returned later that year but found himself out of work when the Cowboys opted not to re-sign him. End of story,” White said. © Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “TV-Novosti”, 2005–2021. But the UFC does not want to talk about the issue, Last modified on Fri 18 Jan 2019 04.08 GMT. Thiago Silva, who threatened his estranged wife with a gun and violated a temporary protection order, was released from the promotion but re-signed again after the charges were dropped. “I already covered this. Starting in 2017, Hardy compiled a 3-0 amateur record in fights that lasted a combined two minutes and 22 seconds. The problem with White’s statement is that domestic violence is a very real issue in mixed martial arts. Will Chope was released by the promotion after news surfaced regarding a 2009 domestic assault conviction. “Listen, you guys want to be sensitive about shit? Rachael Ostovich (born February 25, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. Ostovich, meanwhile, returns to action against Paige VanZant in what looks set to be a crowd-pleasing women's flyweight contest. Read RT Privacy policy to find out more. When he loosened his grip slightly, I said just, ‘Do it. Rachael Ostovich admits she didn’t know anything about Greg Hardy or his domestic abuse case prior to getting booked alongside him at UFC on ESPN+, but says she won’t criticize him for his past. Hardy has a history of domestic violence. His conviction was rubbed. Ostovich’s comments do not deter from the seriousness of Hardy’s alleged actions and should not be misconstrued as an exoneration. By Milan Ordoñez @Mr_Ordonez Jan … Speaking at the 2014 NeuLion Sports Media & Technology Conference, White revealed that the UFC “screens people for The Ultimate Fighter, and if you’ve ever had a domestic violence, you can’t get on. I’m not playing this bullshit with you guys. In 2014, Hardy was arrested for assault after he was accused of attacking and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend. White: Ostovich was 'cool' with Hardy fighting on same card (1:29) UFC president Dana White says on TSN that he spoke with Rachael Ostovich before adding Greg Hardy … The UFC took this decision despite Hardy’s place in the co-main event. Four reasons to watch UFC Brooklyn, Husband of UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich ‘arrested for attempted murder’ after alleged attack on wife, 'He punched me repeatedly': UFC star Rachael Ostovich details alleged attack by her husband, The B*tch Boys: Khabib & fight game stars engage in fierce online slanging match (VIDEO), MMA fighter destroys bank branch in Moscow, walks out to be arrested (VIDEO), YouTube bans dangerous stunt clips after long line of risky footage (VIDEOS), 'I pick the team on penis size! But many other have been kept on by the promotion, despite allegations of domestic or sexual violence. Mixed martial arts career Early career. This Saturday former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy — a man once convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend — will make his official UFC debut. READ MORE: 'He punched me repeatedly' UFC star Rachael Ostovich details alleged attack by her husband. Recently, the UFC has caught some heat due to two fight card placements for their premiere event with ESPN in Brooklyn on January 19. So much had been written and said about them up … I hope that we can use both our situations - you on your side and me on my side - and work together and show anybody that you can come back and make a negative situation and turn it around for a positive one. All rights reserved.