After bloody upset of Heather Hardy, Kristina Williams 'did herself a lot of good'

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Kristina Williams may have been relatively unknown prior to Friday night, but a nationally televised pro debut and major upset quickly fixed that.

On Friday’s Bellator 185 main card at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Williams (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) blasted undefeated pro boxer Heather Hardy (1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) with a flush shin to the face in the Spike-televised bout.

The blood gushed immediately, and it ultimately set up a second-round TKO victory due to a doctor’s stoppage.

“To have someone come out and perform the way she did under this scenario – having a crowed arena, live TV and fighting Heather Hardy – I think she did herself a lot of good as far as building her brand, building her name and building some great fights ahead for her,” Bellator President Scott Coker said.

Despite a handful of amateur MMA bouts, as well as some boxing and kickboxing experience, Williams, a 28-year-old flyweight from Oklahoma, was a heavy underdog heading into the bout. Hardy, who was more than a 4-1 favorite, had the experience on paper. With a 20-0 pro-boxing record and an MMA-debut win over Alice Yauger at Bellator 180 in June, 35-year-old “Heat” could have been an intimidating force for many opponents.

Just not Williams.

“I was a little bit nervous, but once I got in there, I’m really comfortable in the cage,” she said. “Like I’ve said before, that’s where I like to be.

” … After the first minute or two, I knew the game plan was going to work because she kept coming (forward) and doing the same thing. I just fell into a comfort zone and started staying with the game plan.”

Did she feel disrespected by the odds and the pre-fight hype that was centered around Hardy, who quickly became a fan favorite after her Bellator debut earlier this year?

“I really didn’t have a chip on my shoulder,” Williams said. “I mean, I’m an amateur coming in. I was really grateful to get this fight, so I was just ready to prove myself.”

And that’s what she did, according to Coker, who was impressed by the newcomer’s poise.

“When I look at her performance, she wasn’t nervous,” Coker sad. “She wasn’t tired, she wasn’t intimidated by Heather at all, and she was here to fight. And she fought a tough fight.

“Heather was there doing her thing and trying to catch her. She just got out-kicked tonight, I think. That’s what it was, a kickboxing (match). And her system was working well, and for Heather, she just got caught a couple times with those kicks, and that was it.”

So, what’s next for Williams?

“I don’t think you put her in the title mix, but you have to put her (against) someone who has a lot of potential,” Coker said. “We’ll get her some more fights, see how she does, and then we’ll see how we do.”

For more on Bellator 185, check out the MMA Events section of the site.