Brendan Loughnane’s Path to PFL World Championship Fueled by Conor McGregor’s Motivation

Following a brutal defeat at the hands of Peruvian fighter Jesus Pinedo at PFL 4, Loughnane was on the verge of walking away from the sport altogether. Pinedo, whom Loughnane described as an “unknown guy from the ghetto in Peru,” caught him with a devastating knee, followed by ground strikes that ended the fight. This loss left Loughnane shaken and questioning his future in MMA.

"I literally said to myself, 'I'm not even going to spar again,'" Loughnane shared in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT’s Adam Catterall in Saudi Arabia. "I'd never been dropped in sparring, nothing. It was a real eye-opener."

However, just when Loughnane was considering quitting the sport, he received a call that changed everything—one from UFC superstar Conor McGregor. McGregor’s call helped reignite Loughnane's passion for fighting. Had it not been for McGregor's encouragement, Loughnane admits he wouldn’t have returned to the gym or stepped into the cage again.

"I was happy, I was travelling the world, I was living my life after Pinedo," Loughnane reflected. "But Conor called, and that was all it took to get me back on track."

Now, with a chance to win his second PFL Featherweight Tournament title and the hefty seven-figure prize, Loughnane has proven that sometimes, setbacks can lead to even greater comebacks. As he faces Khizriev in the final, Loughnane will carry with him not only the lessons learned from his previous defeat but also the motivation from one of MMA’s biggest names.

Photo: PFL