PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament: Antonio Carlos Jr. promises to submit Sullivan Cauley in final

The Brazilian triumphed in the 2021 edition following his move from UFC, and arrives once again in search of another top honour after quarter-final and semi-final triumphs.

Speaking with DAZN News ahead of his latest battle, the 35-year-old opened up on his journey so far, what he thinks of his final opponent and where he sees his future too.

DAZN News: It's been three fights in four months. How has the journey been?

Antonio Carlos Jr: It's good. It's like an extended camp, right? You don't stop. I've been training, doing my camp since the beginning of the year.

But I was always thinking about this moment. The camp was good. They got good training partners with me, good coaches. Everything works just fine.

DN: You did it four years ago. How do you feel now?

AC: It's special. I can see my belt from here. I remember the moment. The moment was so special. It's even hard to describe how it was.

The past three years, I [have] had some injuries that didn't let me compete and perform the way I wanted to. Being here at the final is just special for me.

DN: What do you think of your opponent, Sullivan Cauley?

AC: Sullivan is a really tough guy. He’s got good wrestling and good boxing [and he] moves well. He had a really great fight against Phil Davis.

He's a very popular guy in MMA, a really tough guy too. He got a good win over an experienced guy. So I really respect him. I think it's going to be a tough fight.

DN: Any prediction?

AC: A submission in the third round.

DN: Who is the favorite?

AC: I think myself. I think I have more experience. It's going to be hard to deal with my jiu-jitsu, my striking.

I'm well-rounded, too. I think the experience is going to make a big difference in this fight.

DN: You went from UFC when you were young to PFL, won the belt and now you can win again. What was the best moment of your career?

AC: I had a lot of different moments in my career. Every moment was special. First was The Ultimate Fighter. The Ultimate Fighter was a really special moment in my life.

Then I had great fights in UFC. I got into the rankings. Then I had bad moments, some injuries that really affected my performance. Then I went to PFL and won the belt.

That was another awesome moment in my life. Now it's a great moment. Being at the finals and fighting for this belt is just great. It's a great feeling.

DN: In October, we're going to have Cory Anderson against Dovlet Yagshimuradov for the light heavyweight belt. What is your prediction?

AC: I'll be rooting for Dovlet. I think Dovlet is going to knock him out.

DN: Can you face the winner of that fight?

AC: I don't really want to fight Dovlet. We're great training partners, great friends. It's not like the plan.

The plan now is just to get the belt and let's see what happena afterwards.

DN: Even if it's for the belt?

AC: If it's for the belt, it's okay. We're going to talk, we're going to see. But now, to be honest, I just think about my belt here.

I just think about Sullivan. I don't think about future opponents or challenges. Now I have a big challenge in front of me and I want to do the right thing.

DN: What is your prediction for Usman Nurmagomedov against Hughes? 

AC: Hard to tell. It's pretty even. I think Paul can. You know, a fight is a fight. But I think Nurmagomedov is a very tough guy. I think he's the favorite in this fight.

DN: Where do you see yourself in the light heavyweight ranking in the world?

AC: It's hard to say, but I'm in the top. There are a lot of tough guys, but definitely, I'm in the top two with these guys.

DN: Only one loss in PFL. It was en 2024 against Alex Polizzi. Do you want a revenge? He lost against Sullivan in semi-final.

AC: Yeah, it could be. We could make this fight happen. It's not something that I think about. What is in the past is in the past, and now I'm just thinking about the future.

DN: How do you feel? You’re 35 years old. How many years long do you see yourself fighting? 

ACJr: I like to live every day, day by day. I don't like to think about the future. I just think about the moment. I think living in the moment, being present, that's the best thing to do.