Preview: PFL 2025 World Tournament First Round 2

Bantamweight Quarterfinal

Francesco Nuzzi (10-1, 1-0 PFL) vs. Mando Gutierrez (10-3, 0-0 PFL)

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the PFL World Tournament LIVE Friday, April 11 at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2..

Nuzzi is known as “Berserker” for a good reason. In 11 fights, the 28-year-old Italian has finished 70% of his fights and is coming off a stellar first-round TKO of Farbod Iran Nezhad. Unfortunately for Nuzzi, that fight was nearly two years ago, and staying active hasn’t been easy. Like his opponent, Gutierrez has waited patiently for his moment on the big stage. The East Lansing, Michigan, product went undefeated in 2024 and has proven to be a formidable foe on the ground. He has six submissions on his ledger and is coming in on a two-fight winning streak. His last major outing was a three-round decision loss to Raul Rosas Jr. on Dana White’s Contender Series, but he could rebound that setback by advancing to the PFL semifinals.

Nuzzi has to come out and find his momentum early. Shaking off a two-year layoff is never easy, especially against a fighter who has been active and thrives on the ground. Gutierrez shouldn’t waste time forcing his way inside and pressuring the Italian to the mat. If he can get his man down and control him, he should be able to make Nuzzi’s power a non-factor.

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Higo vs. Rettinghouse
Velasquez vs. Shakalova
Nuzzi vs. Gutierrez
Kasumov vs. Wetzell
The Prelims