With a little help from an inhaler, Greg Hardy earned his third UFC victory on Friday night - until it went away.
The controversial heavyweight was handily beating Ben Sosoli in the UFC on ESPN 6 main-card bout at Boston's TD Garden. But he was also noticeably slowing down and breathing heavy at the end of the second round.
Between rounds, Hardy (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) took a hit from an inhaler. Then he went out and finished the third, and was originally awarded a unanimous decision on scores of 30-27 across the board. That result, however, was reversed and later ruled a no contest by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission because of Hardy's inhaler use.
"I was in the ring. Me and my coach asked the commission if it would be OK to use my inhaler, and they said yes, so I took it," Hardy said. "I'm still a new guy in this sport. I did what I do in every situation: I asked permission. I got permission, and I did what I was told."
According to Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, UFC president Dana White said use of the inhaler had been approved but that ultimately wasn't the case.
Hardy showed improved striking, footwork and pacing over the course of 15 minutes. He landed crisp jabs every time his smaller foe waded in, and he peppered Sosoli (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) with kicks throughout the fight.
Sosoli, who unlike some of Hardy's previous foes, didn't look intimidated, landed occasional heavy hands but was never able to untrack any sustained offense.
It's the second controversial result for Hardy in the UFC. In his promotional debut back in January, Hardy was disqualified for throwing an illegal knee in a fight with Allen Crowder.
UFC on ESPN 6 results: Greg Hardy victory changed to no contest after inhaler use
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