Greg Hardy: American Top Team has me training like a middleweight

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Coming from a football background, Greg Hardy possesses a multitude of athletic gifts.

And as a member of one of the sport’s premiere gyms at American Top Team, the “Prince of War” says he’s been training like a 185-pounder.

“My two main coaches are Daniel Jolly and Din Thomas, and these guys push me to be something that the world has never seen,” Hardy told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “Nobody in that group that I’ve mentioned, treats me like a heavyweight. I train more like a middleweight. For a middleweight you don’t understand, you got to be the most dangerous man on the planet to even get into the top 10, 15, 20. That’s how we train. We’re going to be the most complete, most dangerous, most vicious fighter of all time.”

The goal has been the same for Hardy (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) since he started in the game: he wants to become world champion.

“I’ve been dropping disclaimers my whole way through, I’ve been letting people know,” Hardy said. “I don’t want people to come in later and be like man, oh you’re trying to be a champion now? I’ve told everybody from the beginning, that’s what I wanted to do.”

Since entering the UFC, Hardy has been receiving public scrutiny, but hasn’t let any of it faze him. He was the first one on the mats in pro practice for Thursday’s media day, and has been living at the American Top Team dorms for three years. He is fully focused on his journey as a mixed martial artist.

“I try to make it an everyday thing man, come in and get the work done,” Hardy said. “Just from football, show up early, leave late. Put the work in and honestly you know, it’s part of what I said at the beginning when I started this journey. I’m here to earn it, it’s the only way to keep the trust and the respect that these people in the gym, is to prove it everyday.”

“Build my game to be that actual world champion instead of some fluke showcase, movie deal kind of fight guy.”