Papin has warned against taking any opportunity to knock out Hardy

Russian boxer Alexei Papin said that he will not miss the opportunity to knock out his opponent - American fighter Greg Hardy. Their bout will take place on December 13 as part of the gala show "REN TV Fight Club. Superseries".

"The mood is great, the mood is fighting. Everything is super, we are gaining form. I think that now it is to the fight will approach in optimal form <...> If there is an opportunity to knock him out, I will not miss this opportunity," - said the athlete.

Panin noted that his opponent is first of all a UFC fighter, and in the past a player in American soccer. The Russian himself used to be involved in hockey and wrestling, he recalled.

"But in professional boxing as well, he already has three fights in which he has scored victories. We look at him as a professional boxer. Plus, he has a win over Hasim Rahman - Jr. That's not a bad boxer," the boxer emphasized.

Papin called Hardy's strength his mass - the American weighs about 150 kg.

Earlier, on November 29, Hardy said that his opponent will fall in the third round of the fight with him. He called himself a puncher, talking about having a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and his skills in wrestling. The fighter emphasized what he thinks of his opponent and called Papin a good fighter, noting his excellent record.

A massive boxing tournament as part of the gala show "REN TV Fight Club. Superseries" will be held on December 13 in the sports complex "Megasport". The main event of the evening will be a bout between MMA fighter Vitaly Minakov and boxer Kevin Johnson. Papin and Hardy will meet in a consensual fight. Also European champion, two-time Russian boxing champion Sergey Kuzmin and professional boxer Murad Khalidov will enter the ring.

The live broadcast of the event will start on REN TV at 23:30. Tickets for the tournament can be purchased at the link.