PFL 4: Emiliano Sordi Opens Up About Knee Injury Suffered Prior to Season Opener

Atlanta, GA — Former PFL light heavyweight champ Emiliano Sordi entered the 2022 regular season with a nagging injury.

During Wednesday’s PFL 4 media day, Sordi (23-10-1) revealed that he had taken a lot away from his fight with Cory Hendricks, which ended in a TKO loss for the Argentinian. “I fought with an injury in my knee. The guys switched my opponent maybe three days out from my fight. My first opponent was a wrestler, now he’s a good kicker. Cory put a very very good leg kick on me.”

“It’s okay, it’s not an excuse. A fight is a fight. I’m coming to this fight much more prepared,” Sordi added.

Asked to clarify the injury timeline, Sordi said that it occurred “Before the fight, one month, or three weeks before.” Despite the injury, Sordi never considered pulling out. “Never, I love to fight, you know?”

Of course, with the PFL’s season format, pulling out of a fight could mean being left out of the playoffs. Sordi was well aware of that fact as well. “Of course, it’s a tournament. I need to win points. Now I need six. But maybe I win last [time], four points, maybe three points, it’s good. But now I need six. Or need the other guy [to lose], or draw.”

“I think fighting in a tournament is tough. Seven weeks, fight, seven weeks, fight, seven weeks, fight,” added Sordi. “It’s pretty hard, but I like it.”

At PFL 4 this Friday, Emiliano Sordi is paired up with Delane Monte, a Brazilian athlete who fell to Antonio Carlos Junior earlier this year.

“I like him. He’s very aggressive, I think he’s perfect for my game,” Sordi said of the match-up. “I have very good counters, he goes forward like crazy. I like the fight.”

As to how he gets the job done, “I don’t know. In my mind, it’s a knockout. But winning, it’s okay [if it’s] a decision, knockout, submission.”

If he wants those six points, mind you, he’ll need an early finish.

Watch the full PFL 4 media day appearance by Emiliano Sordi above. The event goes down this Friday, June 17, 2022 in Atlanta, GA.