Reigning PFL lightweight champion Raush Manfio is unhappy.
Manfio (15-3) meets Don Madge (10-3-1) on Wednesday at 2022 PFL 1 from Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas, but MMA Junkie’s 2021 “Newcomer of the Year” won’t be the night’s headliner. He was dubbed as the main event initially, but the promotion opted to go with a lightweight clash between ex-UFC fighters Jeremy Stephens and Clay Collard instead.
“I was very surprised,” Manfio told MMA Junkie Radio. “When I saw I think yesterday or two days ago that I was not the main event, this pissed me off. I was like, ‘Man, I told the sponsors I was the main event, and now the guys do this with me,’ but I know it’s business. I know PFL is great. It doesn’t matter that they decide. My goal is the same. I need to go there and try to get the six points to guarantee my name in the playoffs. ”
Manfio picked up decision wins over Joilton Lutterbach, former WEC and UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, Collard, and Loik Radzhabov to win last season’s tournament. But now that he’s already cashed in the $1 million prize, Manfio plans on showing more of a sense of urgency when he fights.
“I go super strong in the first round, all the rounds I’m ready, but I’m trying to finish this soon,” Manfio said. “This is gonna be my way to fight this year because now I have no more concerns about money so I can get to risk more. I think last year I was concerned with, ‘OK, I need to get both checks. The victory is most important. It doesn’t matter if I don’t score points or not.’
“This year I can be like the warhorse. I want to fight in my way, put my rhythm, get more risks, and I think this is also more dangerous, but also this makes me create more chance to knock this guy out, so I took the risk and I’m comfortable to do that. We trained to do that.”
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