PFL 2022 featherweight champion, Brendan Loughnane, returns to the SmartCage on the 19th of April, when he takes on Pedro Carvalho in the PFL’s third regular season event.
Brendan Loughnane suffered a knockout loss in his last fight, losing in round one to PFL 2023 featherweight champion, Jesus Pinedo.
The knockout loss to Pinedo marked the first time the Mancunian had suffered a knockout loss in his 32-fight career, with his only other losses being decisions.
Brendan Loughnane considered walking away from MMA
After suffering the loss, the 34-year-old admitted in an interview with talkSPORT MMA that he considered walking away from the sport, having reached the top, earning some very good money in the process.
“I’m going to stick by the old saying, if you stay in the shower for long enough, you’re going to get wet.” Loughnane explained about suffering his first knockout loss after 32 fights.
“It happened now, what are you just some coward that’s going to get knocked out and walk away as soon as the first bit of adversity comes in your career, you’re going to turn your back and walk off, which don’t get me wrong, I contemplated a few times.” Loughnane added.
The PFL regular season format is notoriously grueling, with fighters having to compete two times over a span of four months, with the play-offs following shortly after.
When he won the tournament in 2022, he defeated Bubba Jenkins in the final, winning the PFL featherweight title, as well as the $1m bonus.
Conor McGregor phone call reignited his desire to compete again
The Mancunian lives in Dubai but trains out of Thailand at Tiger Muay Thai and Bangtao. After his loss to Pinedo, Loughnane went back to Dubai where he was sat considering his next move.
Conor McGregor got in touch with Loughnane, asking if he was available to get some training in, which Loughnane admitted reignited his desire to get back into the gym and train to continue his career. The two went on to train together multiple times in Dubai.
“I was still contemplating what I was going to do and then Conor McGregor rings and says do you want to spar? And there’s nothing like a Conor McGregor backhand to check your chin to see if it still works, and apparently it still operates so I thought, let’s get back in there. That started the fire.” Loughnane said.
The 34-year-old then returned to Manchester to spend Christmas day with his family, but it didn’t last long. On Christmas evening, he found himself boarding a plane to Thailand to begin training full-time again.
“I love it, I absolutely adore it. I promised my Mum I would have Christmas dinner with her this year (2023), so I had Christmas dinner in the morning and I was on a flight to Thailand on the night, that’s how much I wanted to get out there.
Loughnane went on to claim it is the best he’s ever felt, despite having gone through the PFL season format three times already.
His featherweight fight against Pedro Carvalho at PFL 3 will be Carvalho’s PFL debut, having competed under the Bellator banner for the past eight years. The Portuguese fighter has competed in a tournament format once before, losing his quarter-final fight against Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 252.