Former WBO featherweight champion Heather Hardy is the latest big name in the sport to want to try bare-knuckle combat. “The Heat” announced on social media that she will challenge BKFC flyweight champion Christine Ferrea on May 11th in Connecticut.
Hardy turned 42 in January, and last boxed in August of last year, when he unsuccessfully challenged Amanda Serrano for the unified 126-pound title, but it was a very gutsy challenge and he is currently 24-3. With four losses, the New Yorker will be boxing again. If Hardy can do that, it would be a big win against Ferrea, who is 13-0.
Hardy is a real ring warrior who excited us with her fight with Sherri Vincent, and in previous fights Serrano has also tried her hand at MMA, holding a 2-2 record in MMA. So, can Hardy reach the top level of bare-knuckle martial arts?
Hardy admits some of her family and friends are reluctant to see her move into the “savage sport.”
“As a member of the boxing community, the two sports don't often intersect in the best way,” Hardy said on social media. “Everyone, from the owner of Gleason's Gym to my boyfriend to my grandmother, begged me not to[do bare knuckles]for my health and not to engage in such a barbaric sport. My mother told me to kneel in God's place and He would tell me what to do. And within 24 hours, boxing opened doors for my little family. I realized that I was just creating an opportunity. I will be in this fight with Christine representing the discipline of boxing and proving that skill pays off. There is only one “Queen of Violence” There's only one, and she's an 80's baby from Brooklyn. ”
Ferrea, of San Jose, is 41 years old and currently ranks 8-1 (6) in bare-knuckle. The fight against Hardy will mark Ferrea's fourth defense of the BKFC flyweight title. Like Hardy, Ferrea has experience fighting in MMA, where he has a record of 1 win and 2 losses.
Ferrea, who has a vast advantage in bare-knuckle experience, will have to be the favorite to win the bout at The Mohegan Sun in May, but he knows Hardy will give it his all. She always is.
The card will also feature the bare-knuckle debut of Cuban great Guillermo Rigondeaux.
