Bantamweight Leandro Higo can’t seem to buy an opponent these days. Higo, who headlines this Friday’s 2025 PFL 2 card in Orlando, saw a fight with Bellator champ Patchy Mix fall through last year (an entire event really), losing out on a title shot as a result.
Then, he was booked into the PFL World Tournament, which has the promotion introducing the 135lb division this year. A high profile opponent, Magomed Magomedov, pulled out, replaced by Josh Rettinghouse. Incredibly, on weigh-in day on Thursday, Rettinghouse was pulled, not cleared to compete by the doctors.
Enter back-up Marcirley Alves. At least Higo still has a fight.
Speaking during Wednesday’s media day, Higo (23-6) addressed the prospect of becoming champion, and earning a very solid payday in the process.
“To me it’s great. We have a saying in Brazil, ‘killing two rabbits with one shot.’ And I have the opportunity to fight for the tournament, to win the title and get the prize money,” he exclaimed. “In every organization that I’ve been through I was able to get the belt, except for Bellator because now the promotion doesn’t exist anymore. But I got close to it, I had a title fight against Patchy Mix that ended up being cancelled, but I believe it would have happened if that fight went through. but now I’m here in PFL and I have the chance to be the first [bantamweight] champion in the promotion.”
Higo plans on using the prize money, $500,000 U.S. this year on top of his purses throughout the tournament, to help out his family. “500K is going to give me and my family a big help for the entirety of our lives. So it all means a lot to me, and being the champion also brings a lot of good things, and I welcome all those things that will be coming to me after I win this tournament.”
Back when Rettinghouse was still his opponent, all of two days ago, Higo said the change in opponent “doesn’t change much. Because my focus now is implementing my game. Doing what I want to do. Instead of worrying whether this guy is going to do this or that, I’m the one dictating everything.”
Presumably, that still applies after yet another switch-up.
Watch Leandro Higo’s full 2025 PFL 2 media day appearance above.
