Pedro Carvalho believes some aspects of the Professional Fighters League’s ruleset need some adjustment, but he also sees some upside.
The former Bellator MMA featherweight is set to make his PFL debut against former champion Brendan Loughnane (26-5) in the co-main event of PFL 3 on April 19 (9 p.m. ET for the main card) Watch on ESPN and ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m.) In addition to its unique season format, the PFL also follows the Uniform Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, with a few exceptions. Elbow strikes are not allowed in PFL and have a major impact on ground and clinch exchanges. Carvalho is mainly concerned about adapting to situations where elbows are prohibited, but he also sees the benefit of not being able to risk receiving elbows himself.
“Well, obviously the biggest issue I have to mention is the elbow. You know, we can’t hit the elbow,” the 28-year-old said at PFL Chicago’s media day. “But I like to think I’m not going to get elbowed, you know, I like to think positively. It’s not that I can’t get elbowed, I like to think that I’m not going to get elbowed. is.
“And that’s the main thing, the rest is a fight, a fight is a fight, whether he’s in or not.” [in] A hotel hallway [in] A fight in a cage is a fight [at] The end of today. “
The Game also believes the PFL’s ban on elbows is on point, considering how often the season format requires players to play.
“The ruleset is there, it’s the same, the only thing there is [that]
The difference is in the elbows, which I think is smart. This is because you have to protect the most experienced players to your heart’s content, especially when they have fought many times in a short period of time. ”
Carvalho is currently on a two-game slump, going 1-3 in his last four fights. Meanwhile, Loughnane, winner of the 2022 PFL Featherweight Championship, started 2023 with a KO victory over Marlon Moraes. He then faced Jesús Pinedo, who needed a first-round stoppage-time win to qualify for the playoffs. Pinedo, who went on to win the season, knocked out the Brit in less than two minutes in a shocking upset, ending his winning streak at five.
