American boxer Heather Hardy held the WBO featherweight title from 2018 to 2019. During the first decade of her professional career, she racked up 22 wins with only one loss. Starting in 2017, Hardy also competed in mixed martial arts.
After a tough loss to Amanda Serrano in 2023, the athlete faced serious health problems. She has since retired from her professional career and now works as a trainer. Read more about her life journey at newyorka.
Early Life and Education
Heather Hardy was born in New York City on January 25, 1982. Her parents, John and Linda Hardy, were of Irish descent. Two more children were later born into the family.
While in school, Heather began competing in track and field. She dreamed of becoming a pitcher for the New York Yankees, which would have made her the first woman to do so. However, she ultimately decided against pursuing a future in sports at that time.
Instead, she attended the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, majoring in Forensic Psychology. After graduating, she got married and had a daughter. She aimed for a normal life, not dreaming of fame or fortune, but fate led her to the boxing ring.
Heather Hardy’s Boxing Career
Heather Hardy’s marriage ended in divorce in 2010. Her daughter stayed with her, but her ex-husband refused to pay child support. She moved in with her sister and nephew and worked six jobs just to make ends meet. It was a difficult period, and Hardy felt trapped.
One day, her sister gave her a gift certificate for kickboxing and karate classes. Heather went just for fun, but the trainers noticed her talent and invited her to join the team. She agreed, and after only three weeks of training, she had her first public fight on Long Island—which she won.
After that, what started as a hobby turned into a calling. Although Hardy was shy and found it difficult to step into the ring at first, she overcame her hesitation and discovered a passion for boxing. She could finally release the difficult emotions she had bottled up for years—and get paid for it. That marked the beginning of Heather Hardy’s professional boxing career.
It’s worth noting that she was 28 years old at the time. Her parents and many acquaintances thought the choice was crazy, as she had no prior experience in boxing or other martial arts. But Hardy didn’t back down and soon began winning titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai. Her determination caught the eye of a professional trainer, who invited her to the famous Gleason’s Gym.
It was one of the few places where women were allowed to train. Unfortunately, sexism in boxing was still rampant in the early 21st century. Men were skeptical of the determined blonde, but Heather trained tirelessly and began to gain popularity on the boxing scene. She became known for her persistence and determination, both in and out of the ring, racking up victories and finally feeling happy.
Mixed Martial Arts
However, the recognition and achievements in boxing weren’t enough for Heather Hardy. She felt she was losing ground to her male counterparts, especially when it came to pay. She was determined to provide for her daughter, so she decided to try her hand at mixed martial arts (MMA).
In 2017, the athlete joined the Bellator MMA organization and began training relentlessly. Her debut was scheduled against Brieta Carpenter at Invicta FC 21, but the fight was canceled due to an injury to her opponent.
Hardy made her flyweight debut against Alice Yauger in the summer of 2017. The bout took place at Madison Square Garden, and she won the fight in the third round. This was followed by a loss to Kristina Williams at Bellator 185. A doctor stopped the fight in the second round after Williams kicked Hardy in the head, shattering her nose.
Hardy’s contract with Bellator lasted until mid-2021. She later stated that those fights were some of the most difficult of her career. Hardy also sustained numerous injuries, but she needed to pay the bills. So, she kept fighting, earning money in the ring while slowly damaging her health.
The Serrano Fight and Health Issues
After focusing on mixed martial arts, Heather Hardy decided to return her focus to boxing. In 2023, she challenged Amanda Serrano, who at the time was the undisputed women’s featherweight world champion, holding the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring titles.
The fight took place on August 5, 2023, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. It was one of the toughest fights of her professional career. She absorbed 278 brutal punches from Serrano and lost the bout by unanimous decision.
But the devastating loss wasn’t the only bitter outcome. Immediately after the fight, Hardy knew something was wrong. She was experiencing double vision, and her head ached nonstop for days. She went for an MRI and saw an ophthalmologist. The tests revealed brain damage that was causing her vision problems; she had swelling around her optic nerve. The doctors were unanimous: Hardy could not take any more blows to the head.
The athlete recalled having suffered concussions during sparring in the past. She would feel “off” for a while afterward but then would just keep on living, training, and boxing. Hardy felt she couldn’t stop and never allowed herself to rest, recover, or heal properly.
Heather Hardy Today
After the Amanda Serrano fight, Heather Hardy received no help from the boxing commission. What’s more, she had no health insurance; her life was saved by NYU Langone. Doctors there examined her, performed an MRI, and then helped her file for disability.
At the time, Hardy couldn’t work or even concentrate. She lost her peripheral vision and developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with panic attacks. She had to forget about continuing her professional boxing career. Instead, the athlete began her road to recovery.
In 2024, she returned to Gleason’s Gym as a trainer. This became both a source of comfort and a way to earn a living. Hardy has become much more cautious in her work. She prioritizes the health of the women she trains and shares her story so that no one has to go through what she did.
Heather Hardy’s own recovery is slow, and she is unlikely to return to professional boxing. Doctors explained to her just how dangerous blows to the head are, and she has already taken more than enough. The boxer blames her coaches and promoters for this end to her career. In the fall of 2025, it was reported that Hardy is suing Everlast Worldwide, Frasers Group, Larry Goldberg’s promotional company Boxing Insider, and promoter Lou DiBella.
According to the athlete, they always told her that women’s boxing “doesn’t sell,” yet they allegedly took the majority of the profits from her fights. Furthermore, she claims no one looked out for her health, which is why Hardy trained to the point of exhaustion and ignored her numerous injuries.
Despite all this, Heather Hardy does not regret the path she chose. She encourages young women to believe in themselves, their dreams, and their desires, and to ignore the skeptics. Few people believed she would succeed, but Hardy confidently pursued her goal and became a champion—albeit at a high price.