With the announcement of the PFL World Tournament middleweight roster, the promotion is set to bring usher in the 185 pound weight class with a stacked bracket of elite fighters from around the globe. Among those competitors is former top five ranked Bellator middleweight Dalton Rosta.
Training at one of the best gyms in the world, American Top Team, Rosta (9-1) had a very important decision to make regarding his career path this year. Teammate Johnny Eblen holds the Bellator middleweight title while another one of Rosta’s teammates, Josh Silveira, will be in this PFL tournament with him.
Speaking with Dalton Rosta recently, he discussed his decision making process, and looked ahead to this talent stacked tournament in Orlando, Florida.
(Brett Cagle): How excited are you to compete in your first tournament for $500,000 in prize money?
(Dalton Rosta): It’s going to be more than that with all of my fight winnings to, so I’m super excited.
(BC): Recently we saw you pick up a big win over Norbert Novenyi Jr. back in June, what did you learn about yourself in that performance and what have the last eight months for you looked like?
(DR): I didn’t learn anything about myself that I didn’t already know, I had to dig deep for that one, I knew I was able to do it. I got hurt in the last round with a elbow to the back of the head, It was an illegal shot but I can’t control it if the ref see’s it or not….I was able to survive and come out of their with a win.
(BC): I saw you were working out with former Pittsburgh Steelers great James Harrison…What is that experience like?
(DR): Yeah whenever I’m home, he’s one of my boys were friends we keep in contact. When I’m back in Pittsburgh I try to get a workout with him every single time I’m home.
(BC): People always talk about how much he lifts in the gym… What’s he still putting up?
(DR): It’s stupid bro, It’s stupid. I consider myself a strong guy and a lot of the people I lift with consider me a strong guy, Especially for my weight. He’s bigger then me, I walk around at 215-220 sometimes but he’s probably like 260-270. With a forty to fifty pound weight difference you would expect some gap but the gap in our strength is ridiculous. I remember one time we were doing military press behind the head, and I was doing like 205 for 8 reps. I was thinking to myself that it was probably going to be that he was doing like 275 or maybe I just throw another 25 on top of the 35 I had on after the 45. I had to completely take the 35’s off each side and throw two more 45’s on.. This dude was doing 315 behind the head fucking Military press bro, ridiculous dude.
(BC): This is going to be the first tournament in your professional career, It’s only three wins to get out of the tournament and become the champion. What do you make of the tournament format?
(DR): I love it man, I’m looking forward to it. I am excited and can’t wait. April is right around the corner were about eight weeks away now. Then gonna be fighting again in June, then in August. It’s like every eight weeks. I’m super excited and I’m happy that I will actually be active and be able to get three fights in a year possible four. Guaranteed three if you win.
(BC): So the guaranteed activity of the tournament was something that really appealed to you?
(DR): Yes 100%
(BC): You’ve got great teammates over there at ATT Florida. One of them being Bellator Middleweight champion Johnny Eblen and another being Josh Silveira in this tournament, what was the thought process with you and your team about which avenue to go down this year?
(DR): It was really my decision at the end of the day, I talked to my manager and coaches about it. But it was my decision and I wanted to do the tournament, at the end of the day if me and Josh have to fight each other then so be it. Ya know where going to be getting paid for it, we beat the shit out of each other at the gym all the time so we might as well get paid for it anyway. Were friends but this is business and I want to be champion, he wants to be champion too, so at the end of the day if we have to fight each other it is what it is.
(BC): You were a Bellator guy what did you make of the transition in the last year. And were you sad to see Bellator go?
(DR): This is a hard question to answer because the name went but they’re still keep the fighters and a separate format away the tournament. So it’s essentially like Bellator is still but they just changed the name. So it’s sad to see the brand itself go but the fighters are there the platform is still there. I loved Bellator, I was a huge fan of Bellator and I don’t think it’s going to change at all with the PFL.
(BC): Somebody that you have history with in this tournament is Aaron Jeffery, how excited are you to possibly get that win back?
(DR): Bro I was hoping I got him first round, I was hoping I got him first round… But I didn’t. But there is a possibility still that I will be able get him some point in this tournament and I just can’t wait. I’m not one to make excuses and I made sure that I didn’t put any excuses out after that fight, I haven’t made any excuses since and I’m not going to make any excuses for the last fight. But just know if we fight again it’s going to go completely different and everybody will know that shit was fluke. Instead of me having to make excuses for myself, they’ll know at the end of the day. The second fight, if we get to fight again it’s going to be such an ass whooping that there’s not going to be any question at all about the first one.
You can catch Dalton Rosta and other world class talent in the 2025 PFL World Tournament starting in April. Our full interview with Rosta can be found above.
