‘Cedric Doumbe is particular – I can solely liken him to McGregor,’ says Dan Hardy
Dan Hardy has excessive hopes for PFL’s latest celebrity Cedric Doumbe – who he is likened to UFC nice Conor McGregor.
The ex-UFC fighter, who turned Director of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe final yr, has continued to construct the model of the burgeoning occasion that has been a roaring success throughout the continent.
Hardy, 42, is the mind behind the occasions, with the organisation internet hosting PFL Europe Paris within the Accor Arena on Thursday (March 7), which is headlined by hometown hero Cedric Doumbe who takes on fellow Frenchman Baissangour Chamsoudinov.
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Doumbe, 31, has lengthy been a kickboxing bogeyman, amassing a file of 75 wins with 45 knockouts earlier than making the transfer into MMA again in 2021. The Cameroon-born fighter has continued his dominance within the fight sport having completed all 5 of his opponents to ascertain himself as a real knockout king throughout a number of preventing disciplines.
The expertise and charisma of Doumbe has seen him domesticate an enormous following so early in his MMA profession as Hardy admitted it will not be lengthy earlier than he turns into a world celebrity.
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“It’s only a matter of time,” Hardy stated completely to Daily Star Sport. “You know, there are very few fighters that you meet that have got this kind of star power. The fact that Cedric can speak English and French very well is going to bode really well for him.
“Because, after all, after we begin to enterprise outdoors of France with him, after we begin to take him on the street to combat in different areas of the world, he will have to have the ability to talk with the followers, and we all know he can do this already.”
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Hardy stated Doumbe’s particular mixture of expertise, charisma and hype means he can solely examine him to the game’s largest ever star in Conor McGregor. “But the thing that makes him special is the hype that he can generate around a fight,” he remarked.
“You know, truthfully, I might liken him solely to Conor McGregor and I do not use that flippantly. I actually do not throw that round fairly often.” Doumbe’s fast ascent is partially as a result of current legalisation of MMA in France which solely occurred in 2020 as Hardy paid tribute to the French followers who’ve come out in droves to help PFL when it is hosted occasions within the European nation.
“As soon as MMA in France was legalised, it grew very, very quickly. You know, the sports fans in France, no matter what sport is, they’re going to come out, they’re going to support and they’re going to enjoy the events.
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“And I think because MMA has been out of reach for so long – like I remember fighting French guys back in the day that were never able to fight in France – they would have to travel to all of the European countries to get fights.
“Now we have French superstars preventing on French soil with the French followers in attendance, and I believe as a result of the legalisation was delayed for thus lengthy, now it has arrived, all people’s out in drive, able to help and revel in combined martial arts as the brand new sport in France.”
PFL Europe Paris could be watched stay on DAZN from a 4pm (UK time) begin for the occasion headlined by Cedric Doumbe taking over Baissangour Chamsoudinov.
