Las Vegas — Returning PFL welterweight champion Sadibou Sy made the move from Sweden to Las Vegas last year, with the results paying off when he won it all, beating names like Rory MacDonald and Dilano Taylor en route to a million dollars.
Despite now being located in Vegas (“permanently for now” is how he would later put it), Sy (13-6-2) is holed up at the host hotel during this 2023 PFL 3 Fight Week, ahead of his fight with Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi.
“Even though I’m based in Vegas, I’m at the hotel, just to get the Fight Week feel and everything,” Sy told media outlets including Cageside Press during Wednesday’s PFL 3 media day. “I’ve done all the work, no shortcuts, no half-assing nothing. So I’m prepared for this fight.”
Coming back as the champion comes with some differences, the biggest of which is security, Sy would later explain.
“Because I truly feel like I know what it takes, I know the path to victory. So having that gives me a sense of security. I know last season what I did in preparation for each fight, to be able to find the right regimen for my body, for my mind to be there,” said Sy. “So going through all of that, feeling it, makes me feel great standing here in front of you guys.”
“At the same time, a fight is a fight, so I always expect the unexpected. I expect him to come out and give his all.”
As a champion, of course, there’s a target on Sy’s back. While the PFL is strictly a tournament format, opponents will no doubt be extra motivated to knock the defending champion out of the season — but to Sy, that’s on them.
“To be honest, I focus on myself. So if someone is focusing on, ‘I’m going to catch up with Sadibou,’ whatever, that’s on them. I focus on myself. I focus on getting better, and I want to be the best at getting better. Because I know that when I’m at my best, no one’s going to beat me.”
Watch the full 2023 PFL 3 media day appearance by Sadibou Sy above. Sy faces Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, NV on April 14, 2023.
