British MMA star Brendan Loughnane battles through brutal eye injury to progress into $1m winner-take-all PFL play-offs
BRENDAN LOUGHNANE battled through a brutal eye injury to book his place into the Professional Fighters League play-offs.
The featherweight, competing in the $1million winner-take-all season, faced Abo Huskic needing a win secure his semi-final place.
But Loughnane got off to a horror start after finding his left eye severely swollen in the first round.
Nevertheless, he poured on the pressure in the second round, landing beautiful counter right hands to pull away.
A takedown towards the end of the second put Loughnane in a handy lead heading into the third and final round.
Again Bosnian Huskic found himself wobbled and on the mat but survived to hear the bell.
Loughnane, with a closed eye, took a unanimous decision in Atlanta to continue his path to the life-changing cheque.
He celebrated post-fight with a can of PFL-sponsored Bud Light and said: "I need to be better but I will be better.
"It’s just not good enough I’m a perfectionist and I should be stopping guys like that. I just wasn’t pulling the trigger
"He was extremely awkward what the fuck was that guy doing. If you go into a technical match with me I’ll have it but this guy had not read the script.
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"He was just throwing shit out of nowhere. Not to put him down. But I feel like I stooped myself down to his level tonight."
Loughnane won his two regular season bouts and progresses into the semi-final, set for August 20 at the Copper Box in London.
A win in front of his home fans will then put Loughnane into the dramatic finale fight, where the cash prize is up for grabs.