Former NFL star Greg Hardy will have at least one more fight before making the jump to the UFC roster, and it’s scheduled to go down just before the end of the year.

Hardy (3-0) will compete in a heavyweight bout at Island Fights 51, which takes place Dec. 21 at Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla. MMAjunkie today verified the news with Hardy’s management team following an initial report from ESPN.com. The event will stream on UFC Fight Pass.

Hardy’s opponent has not been confirmed at this time, but an announcement is expected to come in the near future.

The American, who was an NFL standout prior to his well-documented, unceremonious exit from the league, has been nothing short of dominant in his young MMA career.

After winning some amateur fights, Hardy was inked to appear on Dana White’s Contender Series over the summer. He won his first bout in 57 seconds at DWCS 9 and was granted a developmental deal by UFC brass. Hardy was brought back a few weeks later and scored another knockout, but this time in just 17 seconds at DWCS 16.

He most recently competed at Xtreme Fight Night 352 in September and scored a 53-second knockout over Rasheem Jones, which “impressed” UFC President Dana White.

Those three knockouts still weren’t enough to land Hardy, 30, in the UFC. Perhaps a win at Island Fights will lead the controversial figure to a spot on the big stage in 2019.

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