Three Bouts Added to UFC Columbus including Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan de Castro

More heavy hitters headed to Ohiohttps://t.co/GvBQH7HnkT

— UFC News (@UFCNews) December 27, 2019

Greg Hardy will be back in action this March for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's return trip to Columbus, Ohio.

On Friday, the promotion announced that Hardy (5-2, 1 NC) will be matched up against Yorgan De Castro (6-0) at heavyweight on UFC Columbus in March. The event will take place at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus on March 28. Additionally, the Las Vegas-based organization announced that Khalil Rountree (8-4, 1 NC) will be facing off in a potential retirement bout against Sam Alvey (33-13, 1 NC) at light heavyweight, while bantamweights Louis Smolka (16-6) and Davey Grant (11-4) will also square off.

Hardy dropped his most recent bout against Alexander Volkov in November, where he took a short-notice opportunity to headline UFC Fight Night 163. Hardy's career inside the Octagon has been tumultuous, making his debut in January 2019 and losing by disqualification due to an illegal knee. Two knockout wins over Dmitry Smoliakov and Juan Adams led to a scrap with Ben Sosoli, and although he outlasted the Aussie to capture a decision, Hardy illegally used an inhaler between rounds. Before the night ended, the commission overturned the win to a no-contest. The former NFL Pro Bowl defensive end left the sport of football after he assaulted his ex-girlfriend and hurled her on to a couch covered in automatic weapons. Hardy was convicted, and upon appeal, the case was dropped after she did not appear in court, although the situation surrounding the proceedings was marred with controversy. Hardy was later ejected from the league.

De Castro has yet to taste defeat as a professional, scoring five wins by knockout including four in the opening round. After earning a spot on the roster with a leg kick stoppage of Sanford Alton Meeks on Dana White's Contender Series in June, the Cape Verde native burst on to the scene with a crushing knockout of Justin Tafa in hostile territory at UFC 243 in October.

UFC Columbus will go down on March 28 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, where it will be headlined by a heavyweight clash between Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Additionally, former bantamweight king Cody Garbrandt will come to blows with perennial contender Raphael Assuncao on the card as well.