Juan Adams reacts to Greg Hardy booking: ‘I really want to hurt him’

Yesterday afternoon, it was reported that the UFC is working on finalizing a heavyweight fight between Juan Adams and controversial former NFL player Greg Hardy. This bout, which is being targeted for July 20 in San Antonio, is one Adams has been chasing for months, as he’s ceaselessly berated Hardy on social media and in interviews.

Needless to say, he’s happy he’s finally gotten his wish.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a dream come true, but it feels really good when you ask for something over and over, and you finally get that gratification, and now the only part left is to go in there and beat his ass,” Adams told BJPENN.com Radio in his first interview since the booking was announced.

Juan Adams then clarified that Greg Hardy actually asked the UFC for this matchup.

“I don’t think he felt obligated to fight me,” he said. “He asked for this fight. My team, my fans have been harassing his management, harassing him on social media, and I do my part, I take my jabs and they run with it. And I guess it finally got to him and he asked for the fight and now he can’t complain, because when he gets this ass whooping it’s something he asked for.

“He’s got the mental maturity and the makeup of a toddler, and I feel that I pushed his buttons enough, and he retaliated. We knew this was going to happen. Every man has a point to get to. You can only push people so far, but it really didn’t take much for me. Just saying the same stuff over and over finally got to him.”

While Juan Adams is a prospect himself at 1-1 in the UFC, he considers himself a massive step up in competition for Greg Hardy. As he reminds, he’s Greg Hardy’s first UFC opponent to actually have a win inside the Octagon.

“I’m his first opponent that’s had a win in the octagon before facing him, so,” he explained. “I think that’s a pretty big deal. A big step up, a huge step up in competition for him.

“I know it’s crazy to say that someone 1-1 in the UFC is a big step up for him, but the records of his opponents and the time he’s fought them have been 0-1 in the UFC and 0-2 in the UFC, so it’s a huge step for him. I’m happy for him. I’m glad to see that he’s finally deciding to be a real fighter and put up somebody that’s going to put up a harder fight than his ex-girlfriend.”

In his last outing, Greg Hardy beat the breaks off Dmitrii Smoliakov, who entered the Octagon with an 0-2 record, and really didn’t look like he wanted to be there. Suffice it to say that this win didn’t blow Adams’ hair back.

“That guy was 0-2 in the UFC, so something about fighting on that stage gets to that guy. I don’t know if it’s jitters or whatever, but he seems to thrive outside of the UFC, and as soon as he gets the call up, he fails every time.”

Juan Adams also discredited Hardy’s recent fight with Allen Crowder, which ended via disqualification when Hardy blasted Crowder with an illegal knee.

“The only opponent that has offered any real type of resistance and put up any fight, didn’t back down against him, he got frustrated and did an illegal strike.”

Before Hardy landed this infamous illegal strike on Crowder, Crowder was having quite a bit of success — most notably by pressuring Hardy. Juan Adams believes that could be the key to defeating the brick-fisted former football player.

“That guy went straight at him, and that’s what we’re gonna do,” he said. “We’re not scared of this man. I’m not scared of this man. Nothing he does scares me. Nothing about his past scares me. I believe I’m stronger than he is. I believe I’m bigger than he is, and I’m a better athlete than he is.

“I’m gonna bully this man. I’m going to make him look like a bitch in front of everyone. That’s the game plan. From bell to bell, I’m going to beat his ass, I’m going to show no mercy and I’m gonna make him reconsider fighting at this level.”

Image: @ufc on Instagram

As you can tell, Juan Adams is already formulating a gameplan for this fight. And he says he’s going to have a lot of fun executing it in the cage.

He just doesn’t like Greg Hardy. In fact, he hates him.

“I mean he’s trash, and just not even just as a fighter, just as a human,” he said. “He sucks, at life. His haircut is stupid and his eyebrows … I hate him.

“I’m gonna have fun,” he continued. “My team’s gonna have fun, my fans are gonna have fun with it. From what I’m seeing the only people that really support this man are casuals anyway, and I’m not super concerned about the hate that I’ll get. He might have a bigger fan base than me, but my fans are just better quality people than his are, so I’m not super worried about it.”

Juan Adams wrapped things up by posing a few questions for Greg Hardy.

“I would ask him why he doesn’t tip strippers very well, and I would ask him about his wardrobe choices and his hairstyles,” he said. “I have a lot of questions for him just like, as a man. What makes you wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and think ‘This is the look for me. This is my way to present myself to the world.’ I’d like to get inside the thought process of Greg Hardy. I don’t think it’s very complex, and I don’t think there’s much behind it, but I just want to know.”

Needless to say, there is some bad bloody here.

“It’s very personal,” Adams said of the matchup. “There’s a different feel to camp. We’re doing all the same stuff, focusing a little bit more on cardio, but there’s a little bit extra in every session.

“Honestly, you guys are going to see the best version of me to date… There’s bad blood in this fight. He’s going in there to take my head off. I’m going in there to embarrass this man. I really want to hurt him.”

Who do you think will come out on top when Juan Adams and Greg Hardy step into the cage together this July?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 5/23/2019.