Brendan Loughnane has been with the Professional Fighters League since 2019 and has grown with the company to the point where both are now thriving.
Loughnane, who lost just twice in the PFL, invented the promotion’s regular season and playoff format and is ready to get back in business five years later.
Loughnane will begin his quest for a two-time PFL championship when he faces UFC and Bellator MMA veteran Kai Kamaka III in the featherweight semifinals at PFL9 on Aug. 23. During a recent conference call with media, Loughnane spoke about his veteran status in the promotion and why he feels like now is the time to compete with the playoffs arriving.
“Yes, it’s the big end of the tournament,” Loughnane said. “I’m feeling great. I’ve had another great camp. I’ve been healthy all year.”
As for experience, it’s not just what he’s done in the PFL. Loughnane noted he has more career wins than Kamaka’s total professional bouts. The PFL schedule, in part, has to do with its activity level and is also why Loughnane can’t get back to “regular fights,” meaning only one or two a year.
“I’ve won more matches than Kai has. I’ve been in the game for so long that I don’t think I can go back to a normal match now,” he said. “What I call a normal match is one or two matches a year. I don’t know how people do it and I’m tired of it. I feel like I’m a tournament fighter and the key to this is staying healthy, which I’ve finally done this season.”
Loughnane says nothing has changed about his preparation this time around, with health and balance being his main focus. Although the points system doesn’t factor into the PFL postseason, Loughnane’s approach hasn’t changed.
“There’s no difference, it’s just a match,” he said. “Anyway, I don’t really care about points. I’ve never cared about how many points I get in a match. For me it’s always just a match. Luckily, I’m a finisher. I have 16 knockouts on my record. I’m known for finishing my opponents. So this tournament has always suited me.”
Despite being busier than most fighters in other organisations, Loughnane said the activity he sees every year feels normal right now and he hasn’t had to make many sacrifices.
“I don’t feel like I’m making any sacrifices anymore, I’m enjoying this season and I’m at a better weight than I’ve ever been,” Loughnane said. “I’m enjoying camp and my weight is just stabilising. [2023] I lost [Jesus] “Pinedo, the weight cut was really hard and my body couldn’t handle it. I took 10 months off and I think I’ll come back this season refreshed and ready to fight again.”
Loughnane is enjoying fighting again, scoring two knockouts during the regular season and sitting as the top seed in the featherweight rankings. The former champion is now itching to reclaim the title he once held. He’s two wins away from being champion again. It’s time for Loughnane.
