Franco Tenaglia, a distinguished competitor across multiple combat sports and former BKFC lightweight champion, is gearing up for his highly anticipated debut with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). The event, PFL Madrid, is scheduled for March 20th, where Tenaglia will step into the Smart Cage to face Yassin Najid.
The Argentinian fighter truly embodies the sentiment of being “willing to fight anywhere.” His career reflects an incredible breadth of experience, having competed in boxing, bare-knuckle boxing, kickboxing, MMA, and professional bare-knuckle MMA. Tenaglia views himself as a quintessential mixed martial artist, emphasizing his activity and versatility: “I have like seven or eight fights a year. So I am a very active fighter and I do all.”
A Career Defined by Activity and Risk-Taking
Having previously fought for modest purses in various venues, Tenaglia now finds himself on a much grander stage. Discussing his PFL contract, he confirmed that he does not yet have a multi-fight deal but is actively in negotiations. His primary desire is to remain consistently active. For Tenaglia, fighting transcends mere profession; it serves as a form of therapy. “I want to keep active. I want to have a lot of fights in a year,” he stated, explaining his relaxed approach to career outcomes. While he possesses an intense drive to win, always aiming to “kill the guy,” he rejects a cautious, strategy-first mindset. “I’m not going to fight a strategic fight… I’m going to risk it all,” he declared, highlighting his aggressive, all-or-nothing philosophy in the cage.
Elite Training with Topuria and MVP Boosts Confidence for Najid Bout
Tenaglia’s PFL debut pits him against Yassin Najid, an opponent recognized for his submission skills. Analyzing his upcoming adversary, Tenaglia anticipates Najid will attempt to maintain distance and seek takedowns, acknowledging Tenaglia’s formidable striking power. However, Tenaglia expressed supreme confidence in his defensive grappling, having trained with some of the world’s elite fighters. He revealed his high-level training partners: “I’ve been training with like Ilia Topuria, I’ve been training with Michael ‘Venom’ Page in London Shoot Fighters.” Tenaglia is adamant that Najid will not be able to take him down and believes his wrestling and ground game will come as a major surprise to many, despite his preference for stand-up striking. “I don’t really use that much in the fights because I like to hit people. That’s the truth,” he confessed, adding that when he does deploy his grappling, he finishes opponents “very easy, very quickly.” He attributes the challenges in finding fights in Spain to local competitors being well aware of his high skill level from their shared training experiences.
Fuelled by the Spanish Crowd
The former bare-knuckle champion also conveyed a profound connection with the Spanish audience, which previously energized his memorable BKFC Spain championship victory against Tony Soto. As a resident of Spain, Tenaglia feels a strong bond with the country and its people. “I love the Spanish crowd. I live here. I love this country. I love these people,” he shared. He expressed his eagerness to perform for his adopted home, seeing himself as a “strong soldier” ready to defend whatever the cost, fueled by the energy of the crowd.