After taking a fight two months ago, Danilo Marques had a hint that he might need to stay ready.
Marques (13-4), a UFC veteran, appeared on the PFL Challenger Series in February, defeating Ras Hylton. While he picked up the win, and finish, he did not end up as part of the PFL’s regular season — at least not then.
Instead, Marques had a premonition of sorts that his services might be needed. That turned out to be correct — Marques will fight Yorgan De Castro at PFL 2 this Friday in a heavyweight match-up.
After getting that inkling after his last fight, “I just started training again, and I started feeling something— ‘maybe these guys are going to call me. Let’s see.’ Then a couple of weeks after that, they called and said ‘listen, you’ll be alternate for first show this season, of the heavyweights,'” Marques told media outlets including Cageside Press at the PFL 2 media day on Wednesday.
Marques then saw that last year’s champion, Ante Delija, drop out of his fight with De Castro, replaced with Denis Goltsov.
Next for the Brazilian came a little research on Tapology. “The last four fights [of Goltsov] were cancelled. I said, ‘maybe this guy has a problem with visa or some problem with his passport.’ Then I started to train more, and be ready. When I arrived here, I just heard ‘hey Danilo, maybe you’re going to fight.’ And I’m here. I feel ready, and it’s the best opportunity.”
Marques believes he may have simply manifested the opportunity by wanting it so badly. “I was feeling it. I don’t know how to explain that, but I was feeling, I was feeling it. I was feeling I’d be here for some reason, and I’m here. That’s it.”
For Danilo Marques, however, there will be one change from his last fight, which saw him hit with a nasty low blow. And that comes in the equipment department.
“It was hard,” he said of the foul. “Now I have a special cup. I’m safe.”
Watch the full PFL 2 2023 media day appearance by Danilo Marques above.
