Issue 196
December 2022
After Brendan Loughnane agonizingly missed out on a place in the 2021 PFL featherweight final, he made himself a promise, and he made good on that vow as he captured the 2022 PFL featherweight championship in New York City, writes Simon Head.
“I come from a real gritty place in Manchester where it’s fighting – real fighting,” he said before his featherweight final with Bubba Jenkins at Madison Square Garden.
“I left with a goal, though. I left the United Kingdom with a goal and said I’m gonna come back a world champion and a millionaire. I’m not going back until that happens.
“I got on a plane, went to Thailand, and I’ve been out there for two and a half months.”
Loughnane enjoyed a strong debut season for the Professional Fighters League last year but lost out via split decision to eventual featherweight champion Movlid Khaybulaev in the 2021 playoffs.
The Mancunian vowed to atone for that semi-final defeat and headed east to Thailand to immerse himself in an intense training camp to sharpen his full MMA arsenal ahead of his 2022 run.
“I went to Thailand for training partners and world-class sparring, that’s where I’ve just come from now. It’s a bit hotter than here, but we don’t complain,” he said.
“My coach was like, ‘Listen, Brendan. Go away, do 90 percent wrestling. We need to get you strong because these guys are just going to wrestle the life out of you.’ So that’s what I did.
“Every corner of martial arts in the world has got a corner at Tiger Muay Thai. We all get together, we exchange ideas on martial arts and I feel like that’s made me grow massively being around all the different styles so much.”
After a steady start to his 2022 regular season campaign, Loughnane hit form heading into the playoffs.
His unanimous decision victory over last season’s runner-up Chris Wade in the 2022 semi-finals was arguably his best performance inside the PFL SmartCage, as he comprehensively outstruck the American, while also shutting down Wade’s bread and butter, his wrestling.
It meant that Loughnane was in top form heading into his featherweight final clash with American Jenkins, a former junior world champion wrestler, and NCAA Division I champion who transferred his skills to the cage and captured the Brave CF featherweight title in 2018.
Both Loughnane and Jenkins were blessed with the gift of the gab, and the pair have enjoyed a respectful, if at times feisty, rivalry, with both men seemingly enjoying having a verbal sparring partner ahead of their $1 million matchup.
“I love going back and forth with Bubba,” Loughnane admitted at the time.
“I love getting into banter, as they call it in the UK. It’s two guys, one from America, one from the UK and they don’t mind talking, don’t mind saying what they’re going to do in the cage.”
Like Loughnane, Jenkins also lost out in the semi-finals in 2021, meaning the stakes, and motivations, heading into the bout were similar for both men.
But Loughnane was adamant that his time is now, and that he w prevail over Jenkins and become only the third English fighter to capture a major MMA world title.
“My main goal was to be the first born and bred Mancunian MMA world champion,” he said.
“Bringing that belt home and sitting in Manchester will mean much more than everything.
“This is mine. This is mine to lose. PFL champ, 2022. Let’s go! You’re gonna have to throw bricks at me, bro.
“I’m here to win this whole thing. It’s gonna take more than an eye, a hand, an arm, anything, I’m here. He is going to have to kill me in there. It is get rich or die trying.”
When fight night in New York finally arrived, Loughnane was switched on and focused, and produced the biggest performance of his career to stop Jenkins and capture the PFL featherweight championship.
Loughnane showcased his full arsenal of strikes while demonstrating flawless takedown defense as he stuffed each and every one of former NCAA Division I champion Jenkins’ takedown attempts throughout the matchup, before finishing him with a barrage of strikes to claim the 145-pound title and the $1 million prize.
An action-packed first round saw Jenkins try on multiple occasions to take Loughnane to the mat without success, while, in the stand-up exchanges, Loughnane hammered the American’s lead leg with a succession of powerful low kicks that were clearly affecting Jenkins by the end of the round. In boxing range, both men found a home for their shots, but neither looked in any trouble in the opening five minutes.
Loughnane sustained a cut on his nose in the early stages of Round 2, but started to put his shots together, mixing up snapping punches with leg kicks, while Jenkins tried to load up in search of a one-shot KO. Loughnane settled into his groove and outstruck Jenkins throughout the round until a body kick strayed low to give “The Bad Man” some respite at the end of the round.
Jenkins came out swinging at the start of the third round and started to find his range with his hands. But Loughnane continued to punish the American with leg kicks while scoring with sharp punches of his own. Another takedown attempt from Jenkins was stuffed by the Brit, who then punished him on the feet with sharp combinations and yet more leg kicks.
By the final minute of the round, Jenkins was starting to slow, and Loughnane unloaded a vicious salvo of punches and knees on the former Brave CF champion, who was forced to cover up against the fence as the Brit let fly with his best work of the fight.
Jenkins loaded up again at the start of Round 4 before shooting in deep for a takedown. But, once again, Loughnane was able to stuff the attempt and keep the fight on the feet. The Englishman started to put his shots together beautifully, mixing punches with low kicks to keep Jenkins off balance. Then, mid-way through the round, Loughnane hit the jackpot.
A ramrod straight right badly hurt Jenkins, who staggered backward and fell to the mat. Loughnane immediately closed in and unloaded a barrage of ground strikes to force the finish and spark wild scenes of celebration, both in the cage and in the stands, where a boisterous contingent of English fans was in attendance.
Loughnane’s victory meant that he became only the fourth British fighter to capture a major global MMA world title, following in the footsteps of Liam McGeary, Michael Bisping, and Leon Edwards to join an elite group of British MMA world champions.
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