Parmigiano Reggiano, Classic Roman architecture, Luxury sports cars, and Francesco Nuzzi. The big four, the proverbial Mount Rushmore of what you think of when you think of Italy. As much as I would love to wax lyrical about Rome for a couple of paragraphs, this article is about taking a dive into the newest UFC signee out of Italy. Specifically, it’s about Francesco “The Berserker” Nuzzi.
Nuzzi fights out of Aurora MMA in Rome. It is home to many other surging Italian prospects. This includes Cage Warriors fighters Luca Borando, Giacomo Michelis, and Kadim Dia. Nuzzi may be the first of these to get the UFC call. However, if everything goes according to plan, he will lead a new charge for Italian MMA in the big leagues.
Back in 2021, Nuzzi was 24 and coming off a win against fellow prospect Bernardo Sopaj, who has since found success in the UFC. At that point, Nuzzi was a well-regarded striker with seemingly no ceiling. Many prospect whisperers of the day would’ve had him in their top 50. Since then, Nuzzi has cooled off immensely, racking up only five fights over five years. Two went to a no-contest.
He had a stint in the PFL, where he went 500. He won against Farbod Iran Nezhad via spectacular head kick in the main event. Then he got four cancellations in a row. For two years, he was out of the cage. He then finally lost to Mando Gutierrez via choke in the spring of 2025. Afterward, Nuzzi left the promotion. He would land on his feet in Cage Warriors, scoring another finish and another no-contest. Finally, he ended up in the UFC. Because of this long, winding road, the fanfare surrounding his arrival is nowhere near what it would have been if he’d signed four years ago.
Despite the past handful of years diminishing his fanbase, there’s still stuff to like about Nuzzi and his game going into his UFC debut. The bouncy southpaw comes out of the gates quick, staying on the front foot and applying pressure. He does a great job of attacking all three levels, chopping up the legs and throwing to the body and head. I really like his dedication to softening up the body, as he throws a lot of front kicks to the gut. Most of his combos include a hook or uppercut to the midsection. This varied attack has helped him pick up five knockouts. Once he gets into a rhythm, he doesn’t miss. He also welcomes fighters who want to exchange on the feet. He usually lands first and at a higher clip than his opponents. When his opponents are reacting to his hands and biting on his feints, he can unleash a precision high kick to turn their lights out. Moreover, his hybrid karate-and-kickboxing style on the feet is his best weapon. In fact, this is what has landed him in the UFC.
While wrestling would never be considered his forte, he isn’t a pushover in the grappling department. He maintains good footwork and distance to keep opponents from shooting takedowns. This gives him time to sprawl. He has good balance when defending takedowns. In addition, he has slick enough jiu jitsu to give his opponents something to think about, as he has a win early in his career by guillotine. While good at defending takedowns, he isn’t perfect against chain grappling. When he finds himself on the ground, his hand defense could use some work. Notably, his only loss in the last ten years came by RNC after he slipped and fell to the ground.
As far as offensive grappling, he doesn’t really attempt level changes or takedowns. If he did have that other dimension to his game, I would be more enthusiastic about his ceiling. That would give his opponents even more to think about. If the fight does hit the ground, though, he isn’t a fish out of water. He had three grappling bouts from 2022 to 2023. He won all of them by finish.
Nuzzi is very fast in all facets of his game but not particularly strong. This is where the grappling-heavy fighters in the UFC will find their edge. Moreover, if he can continue to develop his wrestling, he could be a difficult puzzle for many. This is especially true even in the stacked bantamweight division.
The Debut Against Long Xiao
Francesco The Berserker will find himself berserking against a hostile crowd this weekend as he debuts against Chinese fighter Long Xiao in Shanghai, China, on the Nurmagomedov v Song undercard. On Tapology, 77% of users are picking Xiao. In addition, the betting market reflects similar thoughts, as Nuzzi is a +160 dog on most sites. Xiao is well-rounded but mainly a striker. If it weren’t for his penchant for groin kicks, he would likely be entering this fight coming off of a win against Cody Garbrandt. As it stands, though, the dangerous striker is on a two-fight losing streak entering the bout. He will be looking to bounce back in a big way.
I expect both fighters to come out aggressive with something to prove, and I think Nuzzi could prove to be just a little more precise than Long Xiao. Provided the fight takes place on the feet, I see Nuzzi pulling off the upset in his debut fight against the Chinese crowd favorite. If he steps on the gas and doesn’t let up, he could get Xiao out of there late in the first round or sometime in the second. However, given the lack of activity he’s had, I wouldn’t know what to expect out of his gas tank if it makes it to the 3rd.
I’ll take it a step further and say that if Francesco Nuzzi remains his aggressive and dynamic self, he could put together a winning record in the UFC. I expect to look up three years from now and see Nuzzi at 4-3 in the UFC, with three finishes and two performance bonuses, provided he stays healthy. Or he loses his debut, and it’s all downhill from there; who knows in the shark-infested waters that is the UFC bantamweight division.
