France's Cedric Doumbe is being billed as MMA's next global superstar by PFL Europe Head of Fighter Operations Dan Hardy.
Doumbe returns to the cage on Thursday in the first PFL Europe event of the year in Paris where he takes on Baysangur Chamsoudinov in the main event, and he is already building a huge fanbase which includes PSG striker Kylian Mbappe who was in attendance at Doumbe's clash against Jordan Zebo in September.
In an interview with Metro, Hardy spoke about Doumbe's rapid rise in popularity which is now being reflected in ticket sales for Thursday's upcoming PFL Europe card.
"We sold out tickets for this event instantly. People know there is something special happening here. And this is the sort of matchup that launches him into super stardom to take on world champions," Hardy said.
Doumbe made a statement with a first round stoppage victory over Zebo in his PFL debut and Hardy believes the 31-year-old has the necessary skills to become a superstar in the world of MMA.
"He has everything he needs, the skills he has brought over from kickboxing are not in doubt," Hardy continued.
"We are going to see if he has got the ground skills in this fight, Baki is going to wrestle and try to keep him on the floor. But if he comes through this test, his stock in MMA easily doubles.
"The reality is, he has everything else. The striking skills, the marketability, he knows how to talk, he knows how to play the game and get under someone’s skin and in their heads. In September, there are very few fighters who can command an audience the way he did.
"I think if he comes through this test we have the next MMA megastar on our hands. Even if he struggles against Baki and shows he has still got a way to go, people are going to be invested in the journey.
"There is something special about him. Within the next 12 to 18 months, Doumbe will be one of the biggest mixed martial artist stars around."
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