Veronica Hardy (; born October 30, 1995) is a Venezuelan

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

(MMA) who competes in the women’s

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

division in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC).

Early life

Growing up in a family with a passion for martial arts, Veronica's early life was immersed in a culture that fostered her love for the sport. Veronica began training in Taekwondo at the age of four and quickly demonstrated exceptional talent, earning her black belt by the age of twelve. A dedicated and disciplined student, she also pursued training in other disciplines such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, and Kickboxing. As Venezuela faced political and economic turmoil, the Macedo family decided to move to Poland in search of a better life. In this new environment, Veronica was exposed to different styles of martial arts and continued her training. The move ultimately led to her finding her true passion—mixed martial arts (MMA). Over the next few years, she continued to hone her skills in various disciplines, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Before joining the UFC, Veronica Hardy had a professional MMA record of 5-0-1. She competed in various regional promotions in Europe. Her impressive performance on the regional circuit caught the attention of the UFC, which led to her signing with the promotion in 2016.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Hardy faced

Ashlee Evans-Smith Ashlee Nicole Evans-Smith (born July 9, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's women's flyweight and bantamweight divisions. She has her own podcast called Sex & Violence with Rebel Girl. Mix ...

on September 3, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 93 ''UFC Fight Night: Arlovski vs. Barnett'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 93'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 3, 2016, at Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany. Background After ...

. She lost the fight via technical knockout in round three. Hardy faced Andrea Lee on May 19, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 129 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 129'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on May 19, 2018, at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile. Background The event m ...

. She lost the fight by unanimous decision. This fight earned her the Fight of the Night bonus. Hardy faced

Gillian Robertson Gillian Elizabeth Robertson (born May 17, 1995) is a Canadian mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Robertson was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Can ...

on February 23, 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Santos. She lost the fight via submission in the second round. Hardy was scheduled to face

Rachael Ostovich Rachael Ostovich (born February 25, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. A professional since 2017, she has competed in the UFC and Invicta Fighting Championships. Since her release from the UFC, she h ...

on August 10, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 14 ''UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 156'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 14'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 10, 2019 at Antel Arena in Mont ...

. However, it was announced on July 29, 2019 that Ostovich was replaced by

Polyana Viana Polyana Viana Mota (born 14 June 1992) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Raised solely by her mother, Viana grew up in São ...

for undisclosed reason. Hardy won the fight via a submission in round one. This win earned her the ''

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

'' award. Hardy was scheduled to face Amanda Lemos on December 21, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 23 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, her bout with Amanda Lemos was cancelled and she was scheduled to face

Ariane Lipski Ariane Lipski (born January 26, 1994) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. She is a former KSW Women's Flyweight Champion and currently competes in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Lipski was bor ...

on November 16, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 22 ''UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 22'' and ''UFC Vegas 24'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on April 17, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterpr ...

, replacing

Priscila Cachoeira Priscila Cachoeira Gomes Da Silva (born 19 August 1988) is a Brazilian female mixed martial arts fighter. She currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Personal life Cachoeira had a troubled childhood gr ...

who was tested positive for a

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics in ...

. In turn Hardy was not cleared to fight by the Brazilian athletic commission due to severe headaches one day before the fight was taken place and she was replaced by newcomer Isabella de Padua. Hardy faced

Bea Malecki Bea Malecki (born August 23, 1991) is a Swedish mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division. A professional since 2017, she is most notable for her time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Malecki's parents ...

on March 14, 2020 at

UFC Fight Night 170 ''UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 170'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 28'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 14, 2020 at Ginásio Nilson Nelson in B ...

. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the bout, Hardy retired from MMA due to concussion issues. After over three years since her last bout, Hardy returned on March 18, 2023 at

UFC 286 ''UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3'' is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on March 18, 2023, at The O2 Arena in London, England. Background A UFC Welterweight Championshi ...

against Juliana Miller. She won the fight by unanimous decision. Hardy faced Jamey-Lyn Horth on December 2, 2023, at

UFC on ESPN 52 ''UFC on ESPN: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 52'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 2, 2023, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, United States. B ...

. She won the fight via split decision. Hardy faced

JJ Aldrich JJ Aldrich (born September 29, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. She is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has fought for Invicta FC. Background Aldrich was born to a ho ...

at UFC on ESPN 56 on May 11, 2024. She won the fight by unanimous decision.

Personal life

Hardy married former UFC fighter

Dan Hardy Daniel Mark Hardyhttp://boxing.nv.gov/2012%20Results%20Web/05-26-12%20MMA.pdf (born 17 May 1982) is an English former mixed martial artist who fought in the welterweight division. During his professional MMA career, which began in 2004, Hardy ...

on December 25, 2022.

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

** Fight of the Night (One time) **

(One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macedo, Veronica 1995 births Bantamweight mixed martial artists Flyweight mixed martial artists Living people Sportspeople from Caracas Venezuelan female karateka Venezuelan people of Portuguese descent Venezuelan female taekwondo practitioners Portuguese female taekwondo practitioners Jujutsuka Portuguese female mixed martial artists Venezuelan female mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Mixed martial artists utilizing jujutsu Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters