PFL 2 2022: Stuart Austin Says He’s Gotten “Way More Technical In My Game”

British heavyweight Stuart Austin returns to the PFL this Thursday, and believes he’s a very different fighter from the one fans saw lose to Renan Ferreira last year.

“To be honest, I’ve gotten way, way more technical. I feel like, back when I last saw y’all, I was good then, but I took on some different perspectives in my training, and my mind was blown open to new possibilities and things,” Austin (15-7) said during this week’s PFL 2 media day. “So I’ve gotten way, way more technical in my game.”

Austin admitted to struggling to find the right balance, at least initially. “I think almost at points that actually became a little bit of a hindrance, where I started overthinking stuff. And I feel like now I’ve reached a point where I’ve kind of refined it, so I’ve taken getting a thousand tools and not knowing how to using any of them, and refined them down into a real game. I’m much more aware of what I want to do and how I want to execute what my game plan is.”

A veteran of the fight game with over a decade’s worth of experience, Stuart Austin getting defending PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza out of the gate is a big opportunity. But perhaps surprisingly, a win over the champ won’t do anything in terms of boosting his confidence, Austin said on Tuesday.

“To be honest it’s not going to do anything for my confidence. I know I can beat him already. I know I’m ready, I’m not here to make up numbers,” he stated. “My last performance, it is what it is, it happened, it completely sucks, but if I didn’t believe I can beat everyone in this division, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be here showing up. I’m not here for a paycheck, if I want that, I could just go back home, start a business, make some real money. I’m here for the championship. That’s what I’m here for. I want to take it home to my missus, let her see, try and pretend I’m a big cool guy.”

Watch the full PFL 2 2022 media day appearance from Stuart Austin above. The event takes place on Thursday, April 28, 2022 at the ESports Stadium in Arlington, Texas.