UNCASVILLE, Conn. — It’s not often that an upset win in a nationally televised main event is bittersweet, but that’s probably how it felt Linton Vassell this last Thursday.
Vassell (24-9) outpointed Valentin Moldavsky (13-4) in the PFL heavyweight main event for a decision victory and 3 points. But because he lost his first fight in the regular season Vassell fell short of four-player playoffs – where $1 million is up for grabs.
But Vassell said he will be ready – in case one of the wrestlers who made the postseason cut ends up in August. Stranger things have happened, especially at heavyweight, that’s his theory.
And the icing on the cake was that his victory over Moldavsky was the rubber match of the trilogy, and he has two victories.
“We all know what happens. The heavy hitters are coming out left, right and center, aren’t they? Vassell told MMA Junkie and other reporters after the fight at Mohegan Sun Arena. “I’m devastated that I didn’t make it (to the playoffs), but I’m happier that I got the win. I’ve finished the trilogy, so we’ll see what happens in the next few weeks, I guess.
“I’m going to sit back and obviously enjoy my win a little bit. I’ll go back to training. I have some friends who are fighting. Muhammad Usman is fighting soon, so I will come back and help him. I have Emiliano Sordio fighting too. So I help my teammates and who knows, I might get a call from the PFL. You know, we’ll see. Maybe get a super fight or something. But I’m going to go back and lick my wounds for a bit and then get back to training.”
Vassell thinks that if he doesn’t make the playoffs through the back door by chance, the kind of “superfight” he’s thinking about could be against Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, who defeated Vassell in the 2017 title fight – but don’t take heavy weight.
“If I’m not in the tournament, maybe Ryan will come to the PFL – he could do a super fight or something like that,” Vassell said.
Check out Vassell’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to PFL 2024 Week 4.
