Brendan Loughnane had a fight in pink beach shorts during his Greek holiday

EXCLUSIVE: On a night he’ll never forget, Brendan Loughnane jumped out of the crowd during the middle of his holiday in Greece and fought a local champion.

With the Englishman set to square off with Kai Kamaka on Friday night at PFL 9: 2024 Playoffs, in The Anthem in Washington DC, USA, it’s fair to say he’s come a very long way from brawling in pink beach shorts.

Brendan Loughnane had a fight during his summer holiday in Greece

While fans today know Brendan Loughnane for his sublime striking skills and unrelenting will to win, he was travelling the globe and making incredible memories long before he ever won $1 million in The PFL.

From shining in TUF: Smashes in Australia, to training extensively in Thailand, the Mancunian has had more amazing experiences than he can count.

But nothing stands out quite like his escapade in Greece. While most spend their holidays in Malia, enjoying the sun and nightlife, Loughnane is cut from a different cloth.

Upon attending an MMA event, he discovered a fighter had pulled out, and couldn’t resist jumping at the opportunity to compete on foreign soil in just his second outing.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, he said: “I went there on holiday. I’d just had my first pro-fight. I ended up taking a fight on an hour’s notice, I was just in the crowd. Someone had pulled out and I thought, ‘why not’? I had no gumshield, no box, nothing. So, I got stuck in wearing a pair of pink beach shorts. I had a great fight with a local champion and beat him.

“After the fight, I remember ringing my coach and saying, ‘I’m 2-0 now’. He said, ‘What do you mean? You’re on holiday’. I went, ‘Yeh, it just happened’. That was one of my best stories.”

Brendan Loughnane conquered Las Vegas

While that moment in Greece will always raise a smile to his face, Loughnane has done far greater things since then.

On November 25, 2022, the Brit achieved his lifelong dream. In front of a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden, Loughnane defeated Bubba Jenkins to win the PFL championship.

With $1 million in the bank, the fighter could’ve lost motivation, but if anything the victory just lit a fire underneath him to go a step further and enhance his already impressive legacy.

His first bout of the next campaign took place against Marlon Moraes in Las Vegas, Nevada. With the pressure of the world on his shoulders, the gifted athlete produced a tremendous display to claim the biggest scalp of his career, before enjoying his crazy hotel room with his friends and family who’d made the trip.

He remembered: “I fought Marlon Moraes; he’s one of the bigger names that I’ve fought. When Marlon signed for PFL, I was like, ‘I wanna fight Marlon’. I managed to get the finish and I like to party after a fight, we had limousines, we had bowling alleys, we had saunas, we had it all going on. Two days straight, it was brilliant.”

Brendan Loughnane is ready for PFL 9: 2024 Playoffs

After his win against Moraes, the Manchester brawler looked likely to win the competition again.

Alas, he suffered a devastating knockout against Jesus Pinedo, which ended his chances of emerging victorious in two consecutive tournaments.

But while many a fighter would’ve let the result break them, Loughnane dug deep, flying out to Thailand on Christmas Day to hone his skills.

With his determination more intense than ever, he’s looked fantastic during the 2024 season so far, winning his first two matches with his focus set on finishing Kamaka on Friday evening in the US capital to make another final and consequently earn the opportunity to compete for his second $1 million pay cheque.

He beamed: “I just think I’m better all-round than Kai Kamaka. I’ve got more TKOs than he’s got victories. I’ve been in this sport double the amount of time, I’ve got more experience, I’ve fought better guys, I think I’m the better fighter and I’m going to prove it.

“Legacy fight this, one belt over each shoulder, $2 million in the bank, life’s great.”

Featured Image Credit: PFL / Brendan Loughnane