Greg Hardy steamrolls Dmitrii Smoliakov for first UFC victory

This time, things didn't go awry for Greg Hardy.

In his UFC debut on Jan. 19, the controversial former NFL All-Pro was disqualified against Allen Crowder. But this time around, the hard-hitting Hardy didn't let things get that far.

At UFC on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday night, Hardy wasted little time dispatching an overmatched foe, earning the TKO victory over Dmitrii Smoliakov at 2:15 of the opening round of their heavyweight bout.

Smoliakov (9-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC) clearly wanted little to do with Hardy's power. He attempted a couple single-leg takedowns to little avail.

A big head kick set up a pair of uppercuts that dropped Smoliakov. From there, it was a matter of time as Hardy (4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) rained down hammer fists until the bout was waved off.

"It felt amazing, man," Hardy told a crowd that was something less than appreciative. "I didn't get lost in it this time. I knew my purpose, I came out and executed."

The heavyweight bout was the co-main event of the UFC on ESPN+ 8 show at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.