After winning the PFL‘s 2022 Featherweight tournament, Brendan Loughnane is set to return to action at the Overtime Elite Arena in Georgia on Thursday, June 8th to kickstart the second half of the PFL regular season.
The Mancunian’s return was announced in a press-release issued by officials regarding the dates of upcoming seasonal events.
“After three action packed events in our 2022 Regular Season, our world-class fighters will be back for one more shot to punch their ticket to the 2023 Playoffs live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, with global distribution to 160 countries.”
“The first of three consecutive PFL Regular Season events, PFL 4, hosted at Overtime Elite Arena on Thursday, June 8th will feature Featherweight and Light Heavyweight Action, headlined by PFL World Champions Brendan Loughnane and Rob Wilkinson.”
Operating in a seasonal format, PFL Regular Seasons see mixed martial artists from around the world compete towards earning a spot in the playoffs and eventually a championship bout, with the winner of each weight class being rewarded a $1 million prize.
Loughnane signed with the organisation in 2019, after an unsuccessful bid to earn a UFC contract via Dana White’ Contender Series, where he won his fight by unanimous decision. Dominating his opponent Bill Alego was not enough, as Loughnane was not rewarded a contract based upon a decision to shoot for a takedown in the final moments of the fight. White cited that the Brit “lacked heart”, a claim that was disagreed with by many.
Missing out on this contract may have been a blessing in disguise however, as signing with the PFL led to one of the biggest success stories to come out of UK MMA in recent years.
Loughnane began his PFL career by putting together a 4 fight win-streak against notable names such as Sheymon Moraes and Tyler Diamond. This streak earned him a place in the semi-finals of the 2021 featherweight season, which saw him fall short against the undefeated Movlid Khaybulaev.
Undeterred, he returned for the 2022 season, beginning the most notable run of his career with a technical decision win over Ryoji Kudo. Two further wins saw him launch himself into the season finals against standout wrestler, Bubba Jenkins. Despite the grappling adversity he faced against Khaybulaev a year earlier, Loughnane was able to completely shut out Jenkins – dissecting him on the feet before inevitably finding a finish in the 4th round. This win saw him become their inaugural 2022 featherweight champion and receive a $1 million reward.
Looking to continue the success he saw last year in the PFL, Loughnane will make his first 2023 appearance once again the Smart Cage in Atlanta, Georgia and take the first steps towards another championship belt.
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