With a full field of competitors in the PFL post-season, Emiliano Sordi is not interested in a potential trilogy fight with Bozigit Ataev.
Atlantic City, NJ — Argentina’s Emiliano Sordi is your surprise number one seed in the PFL light heavyweight division heading into this year’s playoffs. Sordi, who was with the league last season, shocked MMA fans by finishing Vinny Magalhaes is his opening fight of the regular season. On Thursday in Atlantic City, he added another six points to his tally, knocking out Bozigit Ataev in under 90 seconds.
It was the pair’s second meeting, as Ataev eliminated Emiliano from the post-season last year. Speaking to reporters including Cageside Press following the fight Thursday, Sordi said that “it was the rematch I was looking for, and it was the best way I think. I thought it was going to be points, but it finished in the best way. We both trust our power, so we went to exchange.”
He know Bozigit was hurt immediately. “The first punch, [I] saw his eyes going all over the place, so [I] realized it was going to be about time to finish him.” It didn’t take long. Bozigit went down, and a couple of punches were perfunctory at most.
The pair are now 1-1 in their career series, and will both head to the playoffs. While the seedings are set, events could transpire to see them fight again. But that’s not a pairing that interests Sordi. “Honestly no, because it’s a tournament with a lot of fighters. Fighting with the same guy three times doesn’t make sense.”
Sordi’s an interesting specimen, an talented fighter out of Argentina, a nation that has yet to truly put itself on the MMA map. As a kid, Sordi said, he “didn’t think about being a fighter.” Instead, Sordi was looking at different sports. When he started training, he “dreamed to fight in Brazil.” The nearby South American nation is, of course, a mecca for MMA. Now he’s fighting “in one of the biggest events in the world.”
Next up is a potential million dollar prize, but Sordi is fighting “because he loves it.” He wants to win the title, though the money, should it come, he’ll gladly accept it.
Heading into the playoffs, Sordi is happy to be sitting in first place. It sets him up for a favorable match-up, at least. Like Alexander Gustafsson, Sordi has a tattoo representing his wins in MMA. The field of stairs trailing a fist, however, is no longer being added to, as at 19-8, he has too many wins. However, should he win at all, he joked, he’ll tattoo the championship.
For more from Emiliano Sordi, watch the full PFL 6 2019 post-fight press scrum above!
