Heather Hardy
| Heather Hardy | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 25, 1982 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | The Heat |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight | 122 lb (55 kg; 8.7 st) |
| Division |
Flyweight (MMA) Super-bantamweight (Boxing) Featherweight (Boxing) |
| Reach | 64 in (163 cm) |
| Style | Boxing, Kickboxing |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Years active |
Mixed Martial Arts: 2017 – present Boxing: 2010 – present |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 22 |
| Wins | 21 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| Losses | 0 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 3 |
| Wins | 2 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Boxing record from BoxRec | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Heather Hardy (also known as Heather "The Heat" Hardy; born January 25, 1982) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist holding the WBC International Female Super Bantamweight title.[1][2][3][4][5][6] She also is a trainer living and working in Brooklyn, New York.[7][8][9]
Early life and family
Heather Hardy was born on January 25, 1982 to John and Linda Hardy[10] and is of Irish descent.[11][12] 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.[6][9][13] 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.[8] 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. [14] 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.[15] 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.[15] In 2016, Hardy made major strides for women’s boxing by landing a televised gig on NBCSN against Shelly Vincent.[16]
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.[17]
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.[18] She won the fight via TKO in the third round.[19]
Hardy faced Kristina Williams in a flyweight contest at Bellator 185.[20] She lost the bout via TKO due to a doctor stoppage in the second round after a head kick from Williams shattered her nose.[21]
Hardy faced Ana Julaton on February 16, 2018 at Bellator 194.[22] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[23]
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".[24] She interviewed Hardy on her experiences and talked about how she was changing the face of a generally male dominated sport.[24]
On June 28, 2016, Hardy partnered with Dove on their #MyBeautyMySay campaign.[25][26] They posted two videos: Beauty on your own terms, a compilation video of a variety of women including Heather, and a personalized video, called Heather’s story.[25][26]
Professional boxing record
| Professional record summary | ||
| 22 fights | 21 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 0 |
| By decision | 17 | 0 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Win | 21-0 (1) | Iranda Paola Torres | Decision (unanimous) | 8, 2:00 | 4/21/2018 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA | NABF female featherweight title |
| 21 | Win | 20-0 (1) | Edina Kiss | Decision (unanimous) | 8, 2:00 | 5/18/2017 | Paramount Theater, Huntington, New York, USA | WBC International female featherweight title |
| 20 | Win | 19-0 (1) | Edina Kiss | Decision (unanimous) | 8, 2:00 | 3/4/2017 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA | WBC International female featherweight title |
| 19 | Win | 18-0 (1) | Shelly Vincent | Decision (majority) | 10, 2:00 | 8/21/2016 | Ford Amphitheater, Coney Island, New York, USA | WBC International female featherweight title |
| 18 | Win | 17-0 (1) | Kirstie Simmons | Decision (unanimous) | 8, 2:00 | 6/25/2016 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA | |
| 17 | Win | 16-0 (1) | Anna Donatella Hultin | TKO | 4, 0:48 | 4/16/2016 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA | |
| 16 | Win | 15-0 (1) | Noemi Bosques | Decision (unanimous) | 8, 2:00 | 12/5/2015 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA | |
| 15 | Win | 14-0 (1) | Renata Domsodi | TKO (corner stoppage) | 6, 2:00 | 8/1/2015 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA | WBC International female super bantamweight title |
| 14 | Win | 13-0 (1) | Noemi Bosques | Decision (split) | 8, 2:00 | 5/29/2015 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA | |
| 13 | NC | 12-0 (1) | Renata Dosmodi | NC (accidental headbutt) | 3, 1:57 | 4/11/2015 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA | |
| 12 | Win | 12-0 | Elizabeth Anderson | Decision (unanimous) | 10, 2:00 | 12/3/2014 | BB Kings Blues Club & Grill, New York, New York, USA | |
| 11 | Win | 11-0 | Crystal Hoy | Decision (majority) | 10, 2:00 | 10/15/2014 | BB Kings Blues Club & Grill, New York, New York, USA | vacant WBC International female super bantamweight title |
| 10 | Win | 10-0 | Jackie Trivilino | Decision (technical) | 7, 2:00 | 6/14/2014 | Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA | |
| 9 | Win | 9-0 | Nydia Feliciano | Decision (unanimous) | 8, 2:00 | 3/21/2014 | Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York USA | |
| 8 | Win | 8-0 | Christina Fuentes | Decision (split) | 8, 2:00 | 2/12/2014 | Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA | |
| 7 | Win | 7-0 | Ana Laura Gomez | TKO | 2, 1:44 | 11/9/2013 | Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York USA | vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) International female super bantamweight title |
| 6 | Win | 6-0 | Cassie Trost | TKO | 4, 1:30 | 7/24/2013 | Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA | |
| 5 | Win | 5-0 | Mikayla Nebel | Decision (unanimous) | 6, 2:00 | 4/4/2013 | Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA | |
| 4 | Win | 4-0 | Peggy Maerz | Decision (unanimous) | 4, 2:00 | 1/23/2013 | BB Kings Blues Club & Grill, New York, New York, USA | |
| 3 | Win | 3-0 | Ivana Coleman | Decision (unanimous) | 4,2:00 | 12/8/2012 | Resorts World Casino, Queens, New York, USA | |
| 2 | Win | 2-0 | Unique Harris | Decision (unanimous) | 4, 2:00 | 10/24/2012 | Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA | |
| 1 | Win | 1-0 | Mikayla Nebel | Decision (unanimous) | 4, 2:00 | 8/2/2012 | Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York, USA | |
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 3 matches | 2 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 1 | 1 |
| By submission | 0 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2–1 | Ana Julaton | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 194 | February 16, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Kristina Williams | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Bellator 185 | October 20, 2017 | 2 | 2:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut | |
| Win | 1–0 | Alice Yauger | TKO (punches) | Bellator 180 | June 24, 2017 | 3 | 4:47 | New York City, New York |
References
- ↑ "Women's Boxing: Heather Hardy Biography". womenboxing.com.
- ↑ "BoxRec - Heather Hardy".
- ↑ Kevin McRae. "Single Mom Heather Hardy Fighting for a Place in Harsh World of Women's Boxing". Bleacher Report.
- ↑ "Brooklyn's Heather Hardy hoping Holly Holm effect can extend to boxing". New York Post. 27 November 2015.
- ↑ "Episode 14: The Koch Brothers, the Ninth Planet, and an Undefeated Female Boxer". The New Yorker.
- 1 2 "Brooklyn Boxer Rises, but Her Feet Stay on the Ground". The New York Times. 4 April 2014.
- ↑ "Superstorm Sandy Brings One Family Closer". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- 1 2 "Meet Heather "The Heat" Hardy: Pro Boxer and Single Mom". Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- 1 2 "Why You Should Root For Rising Boxing Star Heather Hardy". Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ↑ "Heather Hardy Doesn't Back Down from Any Fight | VICE Sports". Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ↑ "Heather Hardy Doesn't Back Down from Any Fight". Fightland.
- ↑ "I'm a Fighter". ESPN.
- ↑ PBS Indies (2014-05-05), The Heat, retrieved 2016-08-25
- ↑ New York Daily News (2014-06-09), Heather "The Heat" Hardy, retrieved 2016-08-25
- 1 2 "Heather Hardy's long struggle for women's boxing finally pays off with TV bout". Boxingjunkie. 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ↑ "espnw - Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent bring women's boxing back to national stage". Espn.com. 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- ↑ "Elizabeth Phillips to make Invicta FC debut after Heather Hardy fight falls off card". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
- ↑ "Boxing star Heather Hardy signs with Bellator, will make MMA debut in NYC". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
- ↑ "Bellator 180 results: Heather Hardy finishes Alice Yauger in pro debut". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
- ↑ "Heather Hardy to fight Kristina Williams at Bellator 185". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
- ↑ Tucker, Bryan. "Bellator 185 Results: Mousasi vs. Shlemenko". mmafighting.com.
- ↑ "Heather Hardy vs. Ana Julaton official for Bellator 194 – and future boxing match". MMAjunkie. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ↑ "Bellator 194 results: Heather Hardy outworks Ana Julaton in snoozer". MMAjunkie. 2018-02-17. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
- 1 2 "18-year-old Victorian produces independent film about boxing, women's fight - Victoria Advocate". Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- 1 2 Dove US (2016-06-28), Dove | Beauty on your own terms #MyBeautyMySay, retrieved 2016-08-27
- 1 2 Dove US (2016-06-28), Dove | Heather’s story #MyBeautyMySay, retrieved 2016-08-27