Latest

Combat sports vet and boxing world champ suddenly retires: “I’ve had too much brain damage”

Published

May 7, 2024

Heather Hardy. Photo via Instagram (@heathertheheat)

The 42-year-old combat sports veteran Heather Hardy’s career seems to be over.

Hardy primarily competed in boxing, and held the WBO featherweight title from 2018 to 2019, but also fought four fights in Bellator MMA.

In 2023, she challenged Amanda Serrano for the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring female featherweight world titles.

Now she announces on Instagram that she’s forced to step back from fighting due to repeated concussions.

Read the Heather Hardy Instagram statement below

“My fight for May 11 is off. After my fight last summer with Amanda, my vision remained blurred for a few days. I went for an MRI and to get my eyes checked while I was still in TX and it was diagnosed the after effects of a concussion. 6-8 months i should be fine. So basically I needed a fight, and it never got better. My daughter is in college. Everyone thinks I made millions in my career but i didn’t, i went paycheck to paycheck keeping that kid in the best neighborhood so she could go to the best schools. And i needed to take the fight, so long story short a month into training for Christine and everything got worse with my sight.

I was down to 123 pounds 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 coaches. I thought i could make it through the ten minute fight, but after a very light sparring session i couldn’t see shit for two days. I didn’t eat or sleep Friday to Monday, and i knew i was too weak to do this shit. After finally seeing a doctor, he said I’ve had too many concussions. When you have a concussion, a piece of your brain dies and you never get it back. Imagine that? In ten years I’ve had too much brain damage. I can’t get anymore or else I won’t be able to see. No running, no jogging, no jumping rope, and no getting hit in the head. So I said the thing ya know what that means.”