Brendan Loughnane thinks Ryoji Kudo was 'fading' before accidental clash of heads at 2022 PFL 2
"I was a bit pissed because I felt him fading in the third after I got a few takedowns."
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Brendan Loughnane was not happy his fight with Ryoji Kudo at 2022 PFL 2 was stopped.
His fight Thursday at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas, was waved off when an accidental clash of heads busted Kudo’s head open in Round 3. As a result, the fight went to the judges’ scorecards with two minutes remaining in the fight.
諒司3Rに偶然のバッティングで大きく額をカットして判定に。
勝ったと思った。 pic.twitter.com/2i7pxiFpIU— 佐藤天 Takashi Sato (@satotenten) April 29, 2022
Loughnane (22-4) was awarded a technical decision win, but the Brit thought the momentum was starting to sway in his favor.
“I was a bit pissed because I felt him fading in the third after I got a few takedowns,” Loughnane told reporters following PFL 2. “He was breathing heavy, and I really feel like I could have gotten the finish. I felt like he was fading. I don’t know long was exactly left, but like I said, I feel like it was going my way towards the end.”
For the first time in his career, Loughnane was knocked down when Kudo clipped him in Round 1. Round 2 was the toughest to score, with Round 3 going to Loughnane for his takedowns. Loughnane’s win received mixed reactions, but the 32-year-old is open to running things back with Kudo.
“I’d f*cking love a rematch,” Loughnane said. “That guy is not on my level. I really do believe that guy is not on my level. I was, like, making crazy mistakes. I should have wrestled him from the start. He would have not gotten up if I would have wrestled him from the beginning. Sometimes I just think I’m a striker, but my wrestling is just as good as my striking and I forget that sometimes.”
Check out the full post-fight interview with Loughnane in the video above.