Arlington, TX — Just days out from the launch of the PFL’s 2022 season, former light heavyweight champ Emiliano Sordi was matched up with a new opponent.
That has forced “He-Man” to change up his game plan. “One hundred percent,” he told media outlets including Cageside Press during Monday’s PFL 1 media day.
“Josh Silveira, my last opponent is a wrestler guy. But now, it’s a striker and jiu-jitsu,” Sordi observed. “But I like the fight, I like the fight. Cory [Hendricks] and me, it’s the same style. But the difference is, maybe I have more power.”
2021 did not go Sordi’s way. After winning it all and capturing a million dollars in prize money in 2019, the Argentinian was bounced from the post-season last August. He hasn’t fought since — although as an alternate for the final last October, he stayed in the gym.
“I keep training, every day. I feel good,” Sordi said Monday. “For me, fight is fight. Fight in the tournament, out of the tournament, fight is fight. But now it’s a new opponent, they changed my opponent in the last three days. It’s a different fight, but again, a fight is a fight. I like to fight.”
As to what he worked on during the off-season, “I put more focus on my condition, and a little more on my ground. My wrestling. My grappling. Grappling and jiu-jitsu.”
Watch Monday’s full media scrum with Emiliano Sordi above. PFL 1 2022 goes down April 20, 2022 on ESPN and ESPN+, live from the ESports Stadium in Arlington, TX.
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