Brendan Loughnane's motto might well be, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Loughnane is well into his second decade as a professional mixed martial artist. He's fought 34 times as a pro, going 29-5 with 17 knockouts and won the PFL's featherweight title in 2022.
He has competed in six countries on three continents and has seen just about everything there is to see.
After scoring a first-round finish over Pedro Carvalho at PFL 3 in Chicago on April 19, the 34-year-old Loughane needs a win over Justin Gonzales on Friday at PFL 6 in Sioux City, S.D., to punch his playoff ticket.
And while he has respect for Gonzales, he's blunt in his expectations.
“I think all [fights] are tailor-made for Brendan Loughnane, to be honest," he said. "Whoever is up does not matter. It’s just another name for me.”
Gonzales will come in desperate for a win since in his season debut at PFL 3, he was knocked out at 4:59 of the first by Gabriel Braga. He needs a first-round win himself this time to qualify. But Loughnane can't afford to overlook Gonzales.
Loughnane is a veteran and knows full well how unpredictable MMA can be. He learned his lesson in PFL 2023 when he was finished by eventual champion Jesus Pinedo in his second-round match on June 8, 2023, in Atlanta.
He won't make the same mistake again, he said, and insists he's not looking past Gonzales.
“Justin Gonzales has only lost to great guys," Loughnane said. "He lost to Mads Burnell, Gabriel Braga, and Aaron Pico. Those are all world-class fighters. It’s not like he is losing to bad competitors, so it’s going to be a tough night in the office.”
Loughnane fought in 'The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes" in 2012, and then on Dana White's Contender Series in 2019. He scored a win over tough veteran Bill Algeo on DWCS but didn't earn a contract. He joined the PFL immediately after and has gone 11-2 with four TKOs since.
He's been among the elite PFL featherweights since he joined the promotion, and he still has great ambitions.
“It’s a joint collaboration," Loughnane said. "I love the PFL; I’ve been here for five years. I was one of the first people to come into this thing that is sticking around. I let my accolades speak for themselves. I only lost to two champions, I won one season and lost to the other two winners, so I think that speaks for itself.”
He said the PFL's acquisition of Bellator last year has been a boon to the promotion, giving it quality depth. Even though Bellator is being run as a separate promotion, some of its fighters joined the PFL's season in hopes of winning the $1 million prize.
A win over Gonzales would put Loughnane into the playoffs and give him another shot at the $1 million check. At DraftKings sports book, Loughnane is -500, with Gonzales a +380 underdog.
He's pleased with the opportunity the PFL has provided and said the expansion it's made has been smart.
“I think it is great," he said of the PFL. "I am happy with the whole PFL European league because I have a lot of friends that I’ve been telling PFL about for a long time, and now they finally have the opportunity to win $100,000, $1 million, and the belt. So, I think the expansion is amazing.”
Courtesy PFL
Brendan Loughnane (L) finishes Pedro Carvalho at PFL 3 on April 19.