Heather Hardy

Heather Hardy (born January 25, 1982) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist. In boxing, she held the WBO featherweight title from 2018 to 2019. She is also a trainer, living and working in Brooklyn, New York.[2][3][4] As of September 2020, she is ranked as the world's third best active female featherweight by BoxRec[5] and fourth by The Ring.[6]

Heather Hardy
Born (1982-01-25) January 25, 1982
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Other namesThe Heat
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Weight122 lb (55 kg; 8.7 st)
Division
Reach64 in (163 cm)
StyleBoxing, Kickboxing
StanceOrthodox
TeamRenzo Gracie Academy (2017–2019)[1]
Serra-Longo Fight Team (2019–present)[1]
Years activeMixed Martial Arts: 2017 – present
Boxing: 2010 – present
Professional boxing record
Total24
Wins22
By knockout4
Losses1
No contests1
Mixed martial arts record
Total4
Wins2
By knockout1
By decision1
Losses2
By knockout2
Other information
Boxing record from BoxRec
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Early life and family

Heather Hardy was born on January 25, 1982 to John and Linda Hardy[7] and is of Irish descent.[8][9] She has two younger siblings, Kaitlyn and Colin. Hardy had married her highschool sweetheart in 2004, but after some hard times the pair divorced in 2010.[10][4][11] Hardy was raised in Gerritsen Beach in South Brooklyn.

While in school, Hardy was active in athletics, aspiring to become the first female pitcher for the New York Yankees. Hardy went on to major in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.[3] She graduated at the age of 22.

Boxing career

Heather started boxing in 2010 when she was going through a rough patch in her life: she was working a series of miscellaneous jobs to support her daughter, sister, and nephew and finalizing a divorce with her husband who would not pay child support. Within three weeks of training, Hardy, a 28 year old rookie, had her first fight in front of an average sized audience in Long Island, and won. Even though her first fight was just meant for fun, it helped her find out that boxing was her calling. [12] Regarding her first time in the ring, Hardy said "I'm shy by nature, so walking to the ring was like heading to the gas chamber. I'm probably exaggerating the crowd size, but it felt like I was in the Macy's Parade. When I got to my corner, a cousin told me to pretend a tiger was dropped in the ring and only one of us was getting out alive. I pummeled that girl so bad. And for the first time in my life, I felt like something was all mine. Ever since, I've had the passion to beat up the world. I still fight that way". Shortly after, she quickly began winning other kickboxing and Muay Thai titles.[13] Her determination and passion were soon noticed when she caught the eye of a professional trainer who offered to let her train at Gleason's Gym. Hardy began to grow in popularity on the boxing scene and soon became known for her tenacity and determination in and out of the ring. In regards to what others thought about her fame, she mockingly said "'Yeah right, who's this little blonde white girl with the braids?' They knew me quick because I started tearin' ass". Despite her newfound popularity, Hardy remains humble; she can still be found selling tickets before her fights and training clients at Gleason's.[13] In 2016, Hardy made major strides for women's boxing by landing a televised gig on NBCSN against Shelly Vincent.[14]

Mixed martial arts career

Invicta Fighting Championship

Hardy was scheduled to make her professional MMA debut against Brieta Carpenter at Invicta FC 21. However, the bout was cancelled due to an injury by Carpenter.[15]

Bellator MMA

Hardy made her professional MMA debut at Bellator 180 in a flyweight bout against Alice Yauger on June 24, 2017 at the Madison Square Garden.[16] She won the fight via TKO in the third round.[17]

Hardy faced Kristina Williams in a flyweight contest at Bellator 185.[18] She lost the bout via TKO due to a doctor stoppage in the second round after a head kick from Williams shattered her nose.[19]

Hardy faced Ana Julaton on February 16, 2018 at Bellator 194.[20] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[21]

Hardy faced Taylor Turner at Bellator 222 on June 14th, 2019. She lost the fight via First Round TKO.

In the media

Following her rise to fame, Hardy has been a persistent voice for women's boxing. In 2013, shortly after women's boxing was declared as a featured sport in the 2012 London Olympics, an independent film director named Natasha Verma tackled the subject of the gender wage gap in boxing through her film "Hardy".[22] She interviewed Hardy on her experiences and talked about how she was changing the face of a generally male dominated sport.[22]

In 2016, Hardy partnered with Dove on their #MyBeautyMySay campaign.[23][24]

Professional boxing record
Professional record summary
24 fights 22 wins 1 loss
By knockout 4 0
By decision 18 1
No contests 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
24 Loss 22-1 (1) Amanda Serrano UD 10 13 Sep 2019 Madison Square Garden Theater, New York City, New York, U.S. Lost WBO featherweight title;
For vacant WBAN and interim WBC featherweight title
23 Win 22-0 (1) Shelly Vincent UD 10 27 Oct 2018 Madison Square Garden Theater, New York, USA Won vacant WBO featherweight title
22 Win 21-0 (1) Iranda Paola Torres UD 8 21 Apr 2018 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA Won NABF featherweight title
21 Win 20-0 (1) Edina Kiss UD 8 18 May 2017 Paramount Theater, Huntington, New York, USA Retained WBC International female featherweight title
20 Win 19-0 (1) Edina Kiss UD 8 4 Mar 2017 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA Retained WBC International featherweight title
19 Win 18-0 (1) Shelly Vincent MD 10 21 Aug 2016 Ford Amphitheater, Coney Island, New York, USA Retained WBC International featherweight title
18 Win 17-0 (1) Kirstie Simmons UD 8 25 Jun 2016 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
17 Win 16-0 (1) Anna Donatella Hultin TKO 4 (8) 0:48 16 Apr 2016 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
16 Win 15-0 (1) Noemi Bosques UD 8 5 Dec 2015 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
15 Win 14-0 (1) Renata Domsodi RTD 6 (10), 2:00 1 Aug 2015 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA Retained WBC International super bantamweight title
14 Win 13-0 (1) Noemi Bosques SD 8 29 May 2015 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
13 NC 12-0 (1) Renata Dosmodi NC 3 (8), 1:57 11 Apr 2015 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA Retained WBC International super bantamweight title
12 Win 12-0 Elizabeth Anderson UD 10 13 Dec 2014 BB Kings Blues Club & Grill, New York, New York, USA
11 Win 11-0 Crystal Hoy MD 10 15 Oct 2014 BB Kings Blues Club & Grill, New York, New York, USA Won vacant WBC International super bantamweight title
10 Win 10-0 Jackie Trivilino TD 7 (8) 14 Jun 2014 Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA
9 Win 9-0 Nydia Feliciano UD 8 21 Mar 2014 Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York USA
8 Win 8-0 Christina Fuentes SD 8 12 Feb 2014 Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA
7 Win 7-0 Ana Laura Gomez TKO 2 (10) 1:44 9 Nov 2013 Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York USA Won vacant UBF International super bantamweight title
6 Win 6-0 Cassie Trost TKO 4 (6) 1:30 24 Jul 2013 Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA
5 Win 5-0 Mikayla Nebel UD 6 4 Apr 2013 Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA
4 Win 4-0 Peggy Maerz UD 4 23 Jan 2013 BB Kings Blues Club & Grill, New York, New York, USA
3 Win 3-0 Ivana Coleman UD 4 8 Dec 2012 Resorts World Casino, Queens, New York, USA
2 Win 2-0 Unique Harris UD 4 24 Oct 2012 Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA
1 Win 1-0 Mikayla Nebel UD 4 2 Aug 2012 Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
4 matches 2 wins 2 losses
By knockout 1 2
By submission 0 0
By decision 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 2–2 Taylor Turner TKO (punches) Bellator 222 June 14, 2019 1 3:53 New York City, New York, United States Catchweight (128 lbs) bout.
Win 2–1 Ana Julaton Decision (unanimous) Bellator 194 February 16, 2018 3 5:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Loss 1–1 Kristina Williams TKO (doctor stoppage) Bellator 185 October 20, 2017 2 2:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win 1–0 Alice Yauger TKO (punches) Bellator 180 June 24, 2017 3 4:47 New York City, New York, United States

References
  1. Dave Doyle (June 12, 2019). "Heather Hardy discusses death threats after last Bellator fight, gym change to Serra-Longo". mmajunkie.com.
  2. "Superstorm Sandy Brings One Family Closer". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  3. "Meet Heather "The Heat" Hardy: Pro Boxer and Single Mom". Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  4. "Why You Should Root For Rising Boxing Star Heather Hardy". Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  5. "BoxRec: Female featherweight ratings". boxrec.com. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  6. "The Ring Women's Ratings". The Ring. September 8, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  7. "Heather Hardy Doesn't Back Down from Any Fight | VICE Sports". Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  8. "Heather Hardy Doesn't Back Down from Any Fight". Fightland.
  9. "I'm a Fighter". ESPN.
  10. "Brooklyn Boxer Rises, but Her Feet Stay on the Ground". The New York Times. 4 April 2014.
  11. PBS Indies (2014-05-05), The Heat, retrieved 2016-08-25
  12. New York Daily News (2014-06-09), Heather "The Heat" Hardy, retrieved 2016-08-25
  13. "Heather Hardy's long struggle for women's boxing finally pays off with TV bout". Boxingjunkie. 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  14. "espnw - Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent bring women's boxing back to national stage". Espn.com. 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  15. "Elizabeth Phillips to make Invicta FC debut after Heather Hardy fight falls off card". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  16. "Boxing star Heather Hardy signs with Bellator, will make MMA debut in NYC". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  17. "Bellator 180 results: Heather Hardy finishes Alice Yauger in pro debut". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
  18. "Heather Hardy to fight Kristina Williams at Bellator 185". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  19. Tucker, Bryan. "Bellator 185 Results: Mousasi vs. Shlemenko". mmafighting.com.
  20. "Heather Hardy vs. Ana Julaton official for Bellator 194 – and future boxing match". MMAjunkie. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  21. "Bellator 194 results: Heather Hardy outworks Ana Julaton in snoozer". MMAjunkie. 2018-02-17. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  22. "18-year-old Victorian produces independent film about boxing, women's fight - Victoria Advocate". Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  23. Dove US (2016-06-28), Dove | Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay, retrieved 2016-08-27
  24. Dove US (2016-06-28), Dove | Heather's story #MyBeautyMySay, retrieved 2016-08-27
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