[autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] still feels shame about being suspended for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but hopes winning the 2024 PFL Championship will put all that in the past.
After winning the PFL’s 2022 light heavyweight season, Wilkinson (20-2) found his comeback attempt disgraceful when he was flagged for an elevated testosterone to epitestosterone ratio and suspended for nine months.
He returned for the 2024 season and has since racked up back-to-back wins to make the playoffs. He will try to secure his place in Friday’s $1 million final when he faces Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (23-7-1) in a 2024 PFL Playoffs 2 semifinal fight at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, and airs on ESPN/ESPN+.
Wilkinson, 32, has had plenty of time to work through his mistakes, and while he has achieved some degree of redemption in getting this far, he doesn’t think his arc will be complete until he is once again crowned champion.
“That was a huge mistake and I’m not proud of the choices I made,” Wilkinson told MMA Junkie Radio. “That’s what happened, I was suspended at that moment and I took the opportunity to recover mentally and physically. Now I’m back, motivated to win another world title and, so far, so good. and two more to go.
“The first comeback was really good to get there and prove that I can get a dominant knockout in the first 90 seconds of the fight and show that nothing has changed. I’m looking for completion all the time. After a year of not fighting, there was more pressure to have the chip on my shoulder and go out there and prove how good I am. fight and fight since then and I’ve put that behind me, and now I’m just focusing on being the best fighter I can be and getting the world championship back.”
Wilkinson’s clash with Yagshimuradov will come minutes before the other light heavyweight semi-final, which will see 2023 season champion Impa Kasanganay take on Josh Silveira.
If Wilkinson had his way, Kasanganay (17-4) would emerge from that clash with Silveira (13-3), because, for him, it is the most meaningful final the PFL could have.
“I still think Impa is probably going to win and I just want him to win because Impa and I are champions the last two years,” Wilkinson said. “Fighting each other for the first time for the world championship is the biggest fight I can have at the moment, so I think it’s an exciting fight for the PFL. And an exciting fight for us.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to 2024 PFL Playoffs 2.
This article was originally published on MMA Junkie: 2024 PFL Playoffs 2 Rob Wilkinson: Post-PED suspension success removing cloud of ‘big mistake’
