The former NFL star says that he has asthma and that is the only reason that the inhaler was used.
“I didn’t need it at all,” Hardy said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show (via Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com). “I wanted to take the inhaler because I have asthma and I was at a breathing disadvantage. When they’re telling you [that] you can, you don’t want to continue putting yourself at a disadvantage if you don’t have to.”
Hardy had initially scored a unanimous decision win over Sosoli before the bout result was overturned to a no contest.
It would appear that Hardy is planning on appealing the no contest, but the fighter will let his legal team handle the situation.
“I think it’s something that we’re gonna have to fight out in court and figure it out,” Hardy said. “The long and short of it is I had no idea [it was against the rules].”
There is no rest for the former NFL star, who is back in action in a few short weeks at UFC Fight Night Moscow, facing Alexander Volkov on short notice.
