Boxing Veteran Heather Hardy Retires Due to Brain Injuries
Retirement Announcement
Boxing veteran Heather Hardy has been forced to retire from combat sports after being diagnosed with brain injuries. Just weeks ago, Hardy was preparing for a BKFC match against champion Christine Ferea, but now her career has taken a drastic turn.
At 42, Hardy made a name for herself in boxing and also competed in MMA with Bellator. Unfortunately, she announced that her career has resulted in repeated concussions, leading to brain damage. Consequently, she is canceling her title fight in BKFC and retiring from combat sports.
Instagram Revelation
On Instagram, Hardy disclosed the brain injuries that compelled her to realize she could no longer continue. “My match on May 11th is canceled,” Heather Hardy posted on Instagram. “After my last summer’s match against Amanda [Serrano], my vision stayed blurry for a few days. I had an MRI and checked my eyes while still in Texas, and it turned out to be the aftermath of a concussion. (In six to eight months) I should be okay.
But essentially, I needed a match, but it never got better. My daughter is in college. Everyone thinks I made millions during my career, but I didn’t. I lived paycheck to paycheck to keep my child in the best neighborhood, so she could go to the best schools. And I needed to take the fight, so to make a long story short, one month into training for Christine and everything got worse with my vision.”
She added, “I weighed only 45 kilos because I couldn’t eat; I wasn’t sleeping; I was so weak. I hadn’t told anyone how bad it was, not my boyfriend, not my trainers. I thought I could handle the ten-minute match, but after a very light sparring, I couldn’t see anything for two days. I neither ate nor slept from Friday to Monday, and I knew I was too weak to handle this.
After finally seeing a doctor, he said I had too many concussions. When you get a concussion, part of the brain dies, and you never get it back. Can you imagine that? In ten years, I have had too much brain damage. I can’t take any more because then I can’t see. No running, no jogging, no skipping rope, no hits to the head. I said it, you know what it means.”
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Hardy’s Boxing and MMA Career
Hardy entered the boxing world late when she debuted at 28. Despite this, she managed to rise to the top, winning titles, including the WBO featherweight belt, though she lost it to Amanda Serrano in her first title defense. While she boxed, she also set her sights on MMA, where she compiled a record of 2-2 in Bellator.
When Hardy had a chance to avenge her loss against Serrano, she lost a brutal match where she took 278 blows over the course of the fight. Heather Hardy retires from combat sports with a combined boxing record of 24-3-1 NC.
Quotes Section
“My match on May 11th is canceled.” – Heather Hardy, Instagram
“After finally seeing a doctor, he said I had too many concussions. When you get a concussion, part of the brain dies, and you never get it back.” – Heather Hardy, explaining her health issues on Instagram
“I weighed only 45 kilos because I couldn’t eat; I wasn’t sleeping; I was so weak.” – Heather Hardy, on the effects of her condition
“No running, no jogging, no skipping rope, no hits to the head. I said it, you know what it means.” – Heather Hardy, summarizing the restrictions due to her injuries
This shift in the fight card, especially with Hardy’s absence, will likely lead to significant changes in the upcoming BKFC events, reflecting the impact of her retirement on the sport.
