Dan Hardy believes ‘sky is the limit’ for Lewis McGrillen following spectacular PFL Europe display
Lewis McGrillen in action at PFL Europe 1
British MMA legend Dan Hardy expects to see Lewis McGrillen on at least two more PFL Europe shows in 2023 following his ‘impressive’ first-round knockout against Salih Kulucan.
The 22-year-old made his debut for the organisation during the inaugural PFL Europe event in Newcastle - headlined by Dakota Ditcheva and Simeon Powell.
McGrillen, who saw his fight moved from the preliminary to the main card, certainly lived up to the hype as he knocked out 30-year-old Kulucan in the opening round with a devastating straight left.
Hardy, who is the Head of Fighter Operations with PFL Europe, was full of praise for the youngster.
"He delivered," said the former UFC contender. "The most impressive thing is he's a 22-year-old kid, he's undefeated and he has stepped in there with big pressure on his shoulders.
"He was taking someone on with double the pro experience and he took him out.
"The thing is, because he hyped the fight up so much, he was moved up the card. He would've been third fight on the night but because of the tension and interest in the fight, he was bumped up.
"Dakota [Ditcheva] and Simeon [Powell] are well versed at carrying these events, this is a new experience for him in this kind of limelight. He just impressed everybody.
"His composure. The moment he was landing with his left hand, it would've been easy for him to chase his opponent down and try to get the finish really fast - but he didn't. He let it breathe. Found his shots. It was very very impressive, 7-0 now, the sky is the limit for the kid."
As MMA continues to grow in the United Kingdom, Hardy admitted that McGrillen will have a bigger platform to ply his trade.
He said: "He's going to have a much bigger stage than I ever have. He's going to be the one who is inspiring the next generation.
"There are kids in this arena who watched him and thought to themselves 'I want to be in that position in a few years' time'.
"First round knockouts like that are going to inspire generations of kids."
When asked how far McGrillen can go, Hardy added: "The sky's the limit. As long as he's got his opportunities - obviously with the PFL we'll try to produce those opportunities for him.
"More tougher opponents. Some big feature bouts on cards for the rest of the year certainly. We've got Berlin, Paris and then Dublin, I would like to see him on a couple of those at least. I expect him to deliver again."
Photo Credit: Professional Fighters League
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