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Jesus Pinedo believes his story can only grow if he picks up a second PFL title. | 📷: PFL
The Professional Fighters League final will see two former champions square off for another 145-pound title in the 2025 PFL World Tournament 8 co-headliner on Friday at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Stakes are undeniably high for both participants.
Pinedo, the 2023 PFL featherweight titlist, meets Movlid Khaybulaev—a PFL champion in 2021—in a showdown between two world-class athletes looking for a return to glory after lengthy absences. The first major mixed martial arts champion out of Peru, Pinedo missed all of 2024 due to injuries but stormed back to relevance with back-to-back first-round finishes, highlighted by his one-sided affair with archrival Gabriel Braga in their June semifinal.
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“This year has been going pretty perfect for me,” he told Sherdog.com. “I’m entering each fight with my head high, I’m finishing them super early and I’m walking away with no injuries or any damage. All of that is allowing me to stay fresh as I look forward to the next fight.”
When it comes to beating Braga for a second time in their three meetings, Pinedo did not invest much emotion in it despite the rivalry that had been built. His singular focus was just continuing to win fights and getting back into the championship spotlight.
“It was never going to be personal against Gabriel; it was just going to be business,” Pinedo said. “The way that the new tournament format was set up, we ended up facing each other again and I went in there and I got the job done. There was no emotion or extra feeling for me. I just wanted to go in there and get the victory. I learned not to keep it in the hands of the judges after our first fight. It helped me change my mindset [and] to take out everybody that stands in front of me.”
After making history in his home country of Peru, Pinedo believes his story can only grow if he picks up a second PFL title. It also would afford him the opportunity to continue inspiring the next generation of Peruvians who look up to him.
“Winning that second title on Aug. 1 will just reassure the world of mixed martial arts that Peru has,” Pinedo said. “With all the hard work and dedication you put in as a fighter, you can achieve any of your dreams.”
Looking ahead to his matchup against Khaybulaev, Pinedo respects the level of talent his opponent brings to the table and the resume that made him a champion four years ago.
“These are the levels of fights that excite me,” he said. “He’s an elite-level fighter, former champion. These kinds of fights make my team and myself very happy and very motivated to train. Coming in and being able to defeat a former champion, [with] all of the accolades and stats that he has, going in there and getting a win over him will really show the world what I’m capable of doing.”
Pinedo plans to put forth another statement performance against Khaybulaev.
“I’m very excited for fight night, but the whole world can expect one thing from the first bell: I’m going in there to cause damage,” Pinedo said. “That’s the goal for this fight, to bring the damage and win the belt.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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