PFL featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane would be more than happy to play support to YouTube boxer Jake Paul when he makes his transition into MMA next year.
Paul has taken an ownership stake in the MMA promotion, which is regarded as the No.2 in the world behind only the UFC, that will include his own cage debut, likely in 2024. He will also play a key part in running their 'super fight' division along with business partner Nakisa Bidarian, which will feature star athletes such as Francis Ngannou, Claressa Shields and Kayla Harrison.
And Loughnane, who is competing in his third season this year as he looks to keep hold of his featherweight belt, fancies a lighter schedule after what could be eight fights within a 19-month period. Should the offer come to be a part of the super-fight division, he would be eager to join Paul on what would be a massive pay-per-view card.
"I would love to," Loughnane replied when asked by Mirror Fighting if he would like to be on Paul's debut undercard. "I'm not into all this slating YouTubers and 'I don't want to be around that'. So what? Move with the times, all these people that get caught up like 'I'm not doing a Jake Paul undercard'. Why?
"You're going to get 100 per cent more viewers than you would have if you weren't on it. Why do people care so much? Good on you, Jake lad... I'm very happy for the eyes that are now going to be on my fights. Ideally next year I would like Francis and whoever, Jake and whoever and then me as No.3. That would be ideal."
PFL have been rumoured to be in the market for a takeover of fellow promotion Bellator in recent weeks, although nothing has been confirmed as yet by either company. And Loughnane has made no secret of his interest in facing their featherweight champion; the legendary Brazilian Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire.
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"If Bellator's a real thing then why not fight Pitbull? I don't know, why not try and merge some belts, let's do something like that next year. I've got to get this belt [for the 2023 PFL season] first so I'm not looking past Jesus [Pinedo, his opponent tonight] in any stretch of the imagination.
"But if I were to think about next year, that would be an ideal scenario. There's loads of people I could fight in the super-fight division and I'm not going to lie, the tournament format is hard. I've done it three years back-to-back so a fourth one? I think I'd get a few more grey hairs, I don't know what would happen.
"Money and belts, what else is the motivation? Legacy, that comes with the belt and the money is a nice little bonus to put on top of it. I am the champion and I view this as my second defence, then it'll be my third defence and then my second belt."
Watch Brendan Loughnane's second regular season fight against Jesus Pinedo tonight on DAZN. Undercard starts at 11.30pm with the main show from 3am.
