Hollywood, FL — Antonio Carlos Junior has been here before, in a PFL tournament final.
In 2021, “Shoeface” won the PFL Global season at light heavyweight. This year, it’s the PFL World Tournament, where Carlos Junior faces Sullivan Cauley in the final at PFL Hollywod on Thursday night.
“It’s good to be back here in another finals. Every fight is different, sometimes a different feeling,” ACJ told Cageside Press during this week’s media session in Hollywood, Florida. “Especially already getting the belt, and pass through all the injuries I had in the past, to be here today is a special moment in my career.”
Unlike the past PFL seasons, where finishes earned points and points helped a fighter make the playoffs, the PFL World Tournament was a grand prix, win or go home style. Asked about the difference between the two, Carlos Junior said “to be honest for me it’s kind of the same. I just want to go there, win the fight, and pass to the next. This is more similar to how it used to be in jiu-jitsu, so I’m used to this. Maybe this way is a little better.”
A win could line up Antonio Carlos Junior for big fights with Corey Anderson or Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov. Though he’d rather avoid Dovlet.
“I’d love to not fight Dovlet because he’s a great friend. We train a lot together, we’re always helping each other. To be honest I’m just thinking my next fight, I’m thinking about Sullivan. What’s for the future is for the future. I don’t like to stress myself thinking about it.”
Experience, meanwhile, is something ACJ believes will be a key factor in his PFL World Tournament final with Sullivan Cauley.
“I think it makes a big difference in this fight. He doesn’t have a lot of fights. I passed through a lot of things in MMA, in the sport and in the fights,” noted Carlos Junior. “Some things you just learn by experience. I had a lot of mistakes in my career, and I just learned by doing these mistakes, or doing the right thing with the experience that I had. I think it’s going to be a good point for me.”
Watch the full PFL Hollywood media day appearance by Antonio Carlos Junior above.
