Former NFL defensive end turned boxer Greg Hardy had a frightening moment in the ring Friday night when he suffered an asthma attack and collapsed during a match in Vologda, Russia.
The 37-year-old, who played six seasons in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2013, was forced to retire from the exhibition bout against MMA fighter Evgeny Goncharov.
Video from the match shows Hardy collapsed over in his corner after taking several consecutive punches in the third round. On-site medical personnel attended to him as he tried to recover, and he could be heard asking for his asthma inhaler before officials stopped the fight.
Former UFC fighter and NFL Player Greg Hardy collapses into his corner and retires at the end of Round 3 of his exhibition bout with Evgeny Goncharov in Vologda, Russia, with the American seen asking his corner for an inhaler pic.twitter.com/qaZHJ6nlKc
— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) November 28, 2025
Hardy transitioned to mixed martial arts following his NFL career, compiling a record of 7-5-1 in the UFC, before more recently stepping into professional boxing. Despite his athletic talent, he has also faced legal challenges over the years, including a 2014 arrest for assault and threatening to kill a woman, a conviction that was later overturned on appeal, and a 2016 arrest for cocaine possession. Most recently, in June 2025, he was arrested in Texas on assault charges involving a family member, which he has called “lies and rumors.”
Originally drafted in the sixth round out of Mississippi, Hardy made an immediate impact in Carolina, highlighted by his 13-sack season in 2013 that earned him Pro Bowl honors.