Brendan Loughnane turned one of the most high-profile rejections of his career into a $1million run to world title glory.
The hard-hitting featherweight was told he didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the UFC after defeating Bill Algeo on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019. He infamously shot for a takedown to secure the victory, instead of pushing for a finish after a hard-fought win.
White was outraged by his decision in the moment and decided to punish him by refusing to sign him up for a contract. But that choice ended up backfiring, as Loughnane went on to win gold under the PFL banner and become one of the sport’s biggest names outside of the top promotion.
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Brendan Loughnane was rejected by Dana White in 2019
Seven years after his initial bite at the UFC cherry via The Ultimate Fighter, Brendan Loughnane was given another chance at the sport’s biggest stage in 2019. On the June 18, 2019 episode of Contender Series, he took on Bill Algeo who ironically ended up in the promotion himself.
The issue that was found with the Brit’s performance came in the dying embers when instead of pushing for a finish, Loughnane guaranteed a win with a safe shot for a takedown. It ended up costing him his spot on the roster.
“It’s not even go for the finish,” Dana White said at the time. “You’ve got 10 seconds left in the fight. Show us you want to win. Show us how bad you want it. There’s no question what this show is about. This isn’t Saturday night’s fights, and you’re in the UFC.
“I’m there, we’re watching, and we want to see what you’ve got. You don’t double-leg when the 10-second thing claps. That’s not what I’m looking for. This guy is talented. He’s a good fighter. He put on a good fight. He’s not what I was looking for that night. Period. End of story.”
Brendan Loughnane signed with PFL and became $1million champion
Instead of licking his wounds, Lougnane opted to move on to the promotion that would give him the most activity in the PFL. Then an untested format, the league season offered him potentially four fights a year, with a $1million prize at the end.
Coronavirus restrictions slowed down his initial ambitions, but in 2022 with the world back open he made his run for gold. That included victories over Ryoji Kudo and Ago Huskic, as well as his bitter rival Chris Wade.
In the finals in New York City, the Manchester native had to take on renowned wrestler Bubba Jenkins, and put on the performance of a lifetime to win a fourth round KO. This made him a millionaire, and fully vindicated his decision to choose the PFL.
“The whole Contender Series thing, at the time I thought it was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me,” Loughnane told Bloody Elbow this summer. “Turns out now it was actually the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I mean, I’ve made a fortune, an absolute fortune.
“I’ve won a world title at Madison Square Garden, I’ve changed my family’s life, at the time I was like ‘wow, where do I go from here? PFL wasn’t even a thing then, it was just starting and it was like ‘where do you go?’
“But I’ve found a home, me and the company have worked together. I’m ever grateful to this place, what an amazing place to fight.”
Now, Brendan Loughnane has a chance at further gold, and another $1million
After losing a shock Atlanta showdown to Jesus Pinedo in the second regular season fight of the 2023 season, it wasn’t certain when Loughnane would return. He is a big enough name to warrant super fight status, but opted to try out the global season once more this year.
He kicked off his season with finishes of Justin Gonzales and Pedro Carvalho, before being taken the distance by Kai Kamaka III. In the meantime, Timur Khizriev continued his winning run on the other side of the bracket and made his way to the finals.
Now, Loughnane faces a stern test in the unbeaten Russian, who defeated Brett Johns, Enrique Barzola and Gabriel Braga on his way to the finals. His opponent has needed the scorecards for all of his fights since coming to America, while the Brit is known for pushing for a finish.
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