Cedric Doumbe vs Baki is ‘the biggest prospect fight in all of MMA’ – Dan Hardy

Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter for the latest tips and offers

Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Former UFC star Dan Hardy has described Cedric Doumbe’s clash with Baysangur Chamsoudinov at PFL Paris as the “biggest prospect fight in all of mixed martial arts.”

The Professional Fighters League returns to the French capital, where undefeated duo Doumbe and “Baki” face off in the welterweight division on Thursday evening.

The event between the two Frenchmen at the Accor Arena, for which tickets sold out almost instantly, comes after Doumbe’s impressive first-round victory over Jordan Zebo in September.

Hardy, now the PFL head of fighter operations, talked up the encounter, comparing poster boy Doumbe to the likes of UFC icons Jon Jones and Conor McGregor.

“We’re very fortunate to have Cedric Doumbe, and he makes my life very easy,” Hardy told the PA news agency. “In terms of marketability and technical ability, I don’t think there’s anyone who comes close to Cedric. I have to look at the likes of Jon Jones and Conor McGregor to find someone who has the same impact on the fans.

“The crowd in September was 90 per cent Doumbe, but Baki this time will have a lot of support as well. He’s undefeated, he has [UFC star] Khamzat Chimaev in his corner, you know what to expect from both of these guys.

“To me, this is the biggest prospect fight that can be made in all of mixed martial arts right now. We’ve had to reorganise the arena to get more fans in.”

Chechen-born Baki boasts a strong wrestling background, which may test Doumbe’s stand-up style.

“Because he’s fighting Baki, everyone feels that this is a fight in which he could potentially lose,” Hardy said of Doumbe. “Baki could take him down, control him against the fence, and make him look like a beginner in MMA. We haven’t had those questions answered in Doumbe’s game yet.

“It’s a very risky fight for Doumbe. If I was his management, then this is not the fight I would have picked for him. Baki’s taken this fight and is probably thinking, ‘Doumbe is crazy, he’s a good fighter, but he’s not fought anyone like me before.’

“If I was a cautious matchmaker, trying to build Doumbe up, then this is not a fight I would make. But I’m a former fighter who is an MMA fan, and I want to see this fight.”

Hardy also sees the reasons why Doumbe, 31, would take on 22-year-old Baki’s challenge.

“I can’t underestimate a fighter like Doumbe, he knows himself so well,” Hardy said. “He plays the range and psychological game really well, and I just wonder if any of the games he’s playing leading into this fight will have any impact on Baki.

“Cedric has taken this fight because it’s a shortcut to the top. If he gets the win, then he can start looking at champions and think, ‘I want to fight you.’”