An unmissable Saturday night is approaching for Italian boxing fans. Milan’s Centro Pavesi will host the ninth boxing event organized by The Art of Fighting, and as usual, the promotion company led by Edoardo Germani will offer a number of intriguing and unpredictable matchups. The TAF main event of the evening will be the Italian middleweight title bout between Dario Morello and Yassin Hermi, a clash already heated up by the trash talk between the two fighters. Let’s break down the fight, analyze the boxers’ characteristics, and try to anticipate what might happen after the first bell.
Dario Morello: the bigger they are, the easier he sends them “butterflying”
Most boxers struggle when moving up in weight, facing increasingly physical, powerful, and athletic opponents. But there are exceptions, and Dario Morello is one of them. Since making a double leap from welterweight to middleweight, the Bergamo-based fighter of Calabrian descent has breathed new life into his career.
This shouldn’t come as a big surprise considering Morello’s technical traits. Known as “Spartan,” he stands out for his reflexes, mobility, and ability to anticipate his opponents’ intentions. His defense—if we’re allowed a somewhat unusual comparison—is reminiscent of Tyson Fury’s style, relying more on timing and upper body flexibility than on traditional textbook technique.
Morello has found ways to trouble middleweights just like Chris Byrd used to trouble heavyweights two decades ago: by turning their size against them. Their bulk makes them slower and more predictable, preventing them from landing consistently. As a result, two solid fighters like Joshua Nmomah and Luca Chiancone ended up “hypnotized,” waiting in vain to find the perfect opening—much like those waiting for Godot.
Yassin Hermi: “Consistency” might be the key word
It would be a mistake to assume that Yassin Hermi is destined to suffer the same fate as Morello’s recent victims. The Florence-born fighter has a different skill set: he’s a more varied attacker offensively and, above all, much more consistent in letting his hands go.
This stylistic contrast was clearly evident in his two fights against Luca Chiancone—both exciting and spectacular encounters which, in the humble opinion of this writer, Hermi narrowly won, even if the judges officially gave him a draw and a loss.
In those bouts, the difference in styles was striking. “Chiankong” would take long pauses and then suddenly unleash heavy, explosive shots, whereas Hermi maintained a high output, controlled the pace with his jab, and clearly won all the calmer phases of the match thanks to his superior work rate.
What will happen? Boxe Punch’s prediction
There are two main reasons why Dario Morello deserves to be considered the slight favorite going into this fight: his momentum and his foot speed.
From a psychological standpoint, it’s undeniable that “Spartan” is riding a wave of confidence. He’s on a nine-fight winning streak, has adapted excellently to his new weight class, and enjoys great support from his loyal fanbase, who consistently turn out to cheer him on at TAF events. All of this has boosted his self-belief even more.
Conversely, Yassin Hermi is coming off a tough loss that may have left some mental scars. His last fight took place in Germany, where he was clearly outpointed by rising Turkish middleweight Serkay Comert and even suffered a knockdown.
The second factor favoring Morello is his footwork. Although Hermi is fairly quick when throwing combinations, he doesn’t seem to possess the same reactivity when it comes to moving around the ring. That could prove decisive, as “Spartan” is likely to try to drive him crazy over ten rounds, constantly shifting distances and forcing him to work overtime to land clean shots.
Despite these disadvantages, I personally believe Hermi’s chances of pulling off an upset are much higher than most observers seem willing to admit. I’ve read and heard from various sources that the Tuscan boxer’s style is supposedly “tailor-made” to suit Morello, but I don’t entirely agree.
“Spartan” has earned a reputation for being a master at neutralizing pressure fighters—but not all pressure fighters are the same. Many may have forgotten, since it’s been nearly six years, but when Morello faced a less predictable pressure fighter like England’s Luther Clay in 2019, he was completely out of answers.
It’s true that since then, the Bergamo native has improved, refining his style and learning from the mistakes that cost him that night in Florence. Still, the volume Hermi is capable of throwing could certainly pose problems for him at times.
Hermi will need to maintain a high pace throughout, avoid getting discouraged when missing shots or when Morello tries to provoke him with his usual antics, and keep pressing forward while staying active with his hands. If he can do that, we could be in for a highly competitive and closely contested fight.
Thanks to his ring smarts and the positive momentum he’s riding at this point in his career, I’m inclined to give “Spartan” a slight edge in terms of probability. While an opposite outcome wouldn’t surprise me at all, I’ll go with a narrow points victory for Dario Morello.