Dan Hardy has stated that Francesco Nuzzi cannot afford to look past Farbod Iran Nezhad when they meet in the main event of this weekend's PFL Europe event in Berlin, which can be seen live in a number of regions on DAZN.
After his fight with Moktar Benkaci last year ended in a no contest, Nuzzi has expressed his desire to face the Frenchman for a second time, but first he must focus on Nezhad and a place in the PFL Europe playoffs.
When looking ahead to the main event on The DAZN MMA Show, Hardy was quick to point out the problems Nezhad will pose and why he could ruin Nuzzi's future plans.
"He’s a powerhouse, he’s got good Greco, good body lock wrestling style, makes him very difficult to take down," Hardy explained.
"Anytime someone takes him down it’s so difficult to control him, he’s able to just bridge, I don’t know where he generates his power from, as long as he’s got a toe connected to the canvas he can bridge and throw you off.
"He’s going to be really problematic for Nuzzi."
For the fight itself, Hardy expects a tense start, but believes Nuzzi can assert dominance if he utilises one key aspect of his fight game.
"These guys in a lot of ways are going to look like mirror images of one and other when they first start out," Hardy said.
"But Farbod will slowly take the canvas away from you if you keep backing up, and then he’s got to watch out for the counter striking of Nuzzi."