Greg Hardy to make UFC debut Jan. 19 in Brooklyn

Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy appears set to make his UFC debut.

Hardy (3-0) will battle Allen Crowder at Fight Night 143 on Jan. 19 in Brooklyn, N.Y. The heavyweight bout is close to being finalized, UFC president Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

Hardy was signed to a developmental contract after his first appearance on "Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series" in June.

After winning three straight bouts as an amateur heavyweight, he's accumulated a 3-0 record as a professional fighter. All six of his fights have resulted in first-round knockout victories.

Hardy, who played for the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, last suited up in the NFL in 2015. He was found guilty of communicating threats and assaulting Nicole Holder, who was his girlfriend at the time, in 2014. Charges were later dismissed and expunged from his record when Holder told prosecutors she didn't want to testify during Hardy's appeal trial.

His debut is set for the same event that features a fight between Rachael Ostovich and Paige VanZant. Ostovich was hospitalized in November after being attacked in Hawaii. Her husband, Arnold Berdon, was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

Crowder (9-3) will be making his second UFC appearance but hasn't fought since December 2017.