Rivalries: Brendan Loughnane

Brendan Loughnane has resolutely turned the page on the chapter in which he was bypassed for a UFC contract after his dominant win over Bill Algeo on Dana White's Contender Series in 2019. Despite that, the topic remains a persistent undercurrent in discussions about the Professional Fighters League featherweight contender. White reproached Loughnane for adopting a conservative strategy by executing a late takedown in the bout against Algeo, which the UFC CEO viewed as prioritizing a safe win over a bold finish.

Nevertheless, a mere quarter later, he joined the ranks of PFL and has since flourished, amassing a record of 9-2 in the promotion, winning the 2022 featherweight tournament, along with the whopping $1 million reward. The 34-year-old is set to take on Pedro Carvalho at the PFL 3: 2024 Regular Season on April 19 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Ahead of the clash, we take a look at some of the most defining rivalries of his career to this point.

Tim Close

Loughnane charted on his professional MMA journey in 2010 and quickly amassed a record of 6-1 with five finishes in just over two years. He would get his maiden crack at championship gold against Tim Close at Full Contender 7 on Sept. 7, 2013, for the lightweight strap. He won the bout by unanimous decision and went on to defend the title twice against Jason Cooledge and Ali Maclean.

Mike Wilkinson

Back in 2012, Loughnane joined Team UK in the lightweight bracket on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. He replaced Michael Pastou, who suffered an injury in episode two, and kicked off his tournament run with a solid unanimous decision win over Patrick Iodice. Unfortunately, he lost to Norman Parke via unanimous decision in episode ten and went on to drop another decision loss to Mike Wilkinson, losing out on his maiden opportunity to secure the UFC contract. Over four years later, he would get his shot at redemption against Wilkinson at ACB 54 under the Absolute Championship Berkut banner. He secured an emphatic first-round knockout victory against Wilkinson thereby avenging his loss to “The Warrior.”

Chris Wade

This matchup was built on the backdrop of intense rivalry and palpable tension as Loughnane locked horns with Wade in the 2022 PFL featherweight tournament semi-final in London. The opening frame saw both fighters evenly matched until Wade established brief control on the ground. As the bout progressed, Loughnane quickly regained composure, asserting dominance, peppering away with crisp strikes, and maintaining control throughout the clash. He continued to defend Wade’s takedown attempts skillfully and methodically, breaking down his opponent with superior striking. In the end, he walked away with an emphatic 30-27 unanimous decision on all the judges’ scorecards and advanced to the finals of the tournament.

Marlon Moraes

Having won the aforementioned PFL 145-pound tournament with a TKO victory over Bubba Jenkins, Loughane crossed paths with former UFC bantamweight contender Moraes in April 2023. Moraes initially displayed good striking skills but struggled after absorbing multiple calf kicks from Loughane. He was dropped twice in the first frame, which prompted a checkup from a cage-side physician who allowed him to continue in the next round, albeit briefly. The accumulation of Loughane’s relentless assault to chop down the lead leg took a toll, which led to a TKO victory for the English fighter.