PFL is returning this Thursday when it stops off at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut. Valentin Molsavsky will look for another impressive performance when he takes on Linton Vasell in the main event. Also featured on the card are Dakota Ditcheva, Jenna Bishop and Tyrell Fortune.
Before his upcoming fight against Marcelo Golm, Combat Sports UK was able to speak to Tyrell Fortune. We were able to discuss about his plan for the fight and how he thinks the fight will end. We also spoke about the man who should have been his opponent Daniel James.
Tyrell Fortune to Put on a Show at PFL 4
Tyrell Fortune last time fought Sergey Bilostenniy back in April 2023 at Bellator 294. Unfortunately, that fight would end due to punches to the back of the head in the first round. Before his upcoming fight at PFL 4 I was able to ask Tyrell how the fight went against Bilostenniy. I was also able to ask if he was able to learn anything from the fight. Tyrell Fortune explained;
“Well that fight ended with illegal elbows so up to that point I was winning and controlling the fight. Didn’t really learn much because of it other then to be careful where my head is on top.”
While the fight may have been stopped early due to the elbows to the back of the head. Fortune was able to control the fight up to that point. Despite being able to control the fight Tyrell was able to take out from that fight was head position. While it is up to the opponent where his shots land Tyrell has realised where his head needs to be to make it less of a possibility.
Tyrell was able to get the victory that evening. During the fight he was controlling it up till the point of the stoppage. There may still be a part of each fighter to have that rematch to get a proper finish.
Daniel James Fight
Daniel James has already fought and defeated Tyrell Fortune back in November 2022. During the fight, Daniel James was able to get the victory due to elbows in the 2nd round. However, this fight was later to be changed to a no-contest due to Daniel James testing positive for a banned substance.
Since this fight happened they were supposed to run it back during the first round of fights. However, Tyrell Fortune was forced to withdraw from that fight. This rematch was then rescheduled for PFL 4. However, Daniel James has tested positive for a banned substance so has been ruled out of this fight. Due to this Tyrell Fortune will now face off against Marcelo Golm. I was able to ask Tyrell if he thought this rematch was meant to happen in the future. Fortune responded by saying;
“I don’t see us fighting again because of his drug abuse.”
Tyrell doesn’t see him fighting Daniel James in the future. We currently don’t know how long Daniel James will be suspended for since this is the 2nd time he has tested positive. However, due to him testing positive multiple times, Tyrell doesn’t see this fighting happening again.
Tyrell Fortune Needing a Stoppage Finish
The PFL format makes getting a stoppage victory a lot more rewardable than just a decision. This is due to each victory being given points with a first-round victory giving the fighter 6 points whereas a decision is only 3. Currently, everyone who is making the top 4 (including Daniel James) currently has a stoppage victory from the previous fights. Due to this Tyrell Fortune will most likely need a stoppage victory if he is to progress to the playoffs. I was able to ask Tyrell if this changes his gameplan knowing he needs a stoppage instead of just hoping he can secure a finish. Fortune responded by saying;
“No because I always look for a finish”
Tyrell Fortune doesn’t believe that needing the finish will change his game plan. Some fighters may try and speed up the plan to try and guarantee a stoppage however, this doesn’t look to be the case here. Fortune is always looking for a victory and is never looking to leave it to the judge’s scorecards even if he is ahead in the fight going into the last round.
Prediction and Next Opponent
While Tyrell is always looking to secure a stoppage victory I was able to try and get some more information from him. I tried to get an official prediction from him to see how he sees this fight going. Fortune responded by saying;
” I see me getting the finish in the first or second round”
Tyrell Fortune is looking for a quick and easy fight when he faces off against Marcelo Golm this Thursday. Fortune believes in his ability to be able to get the stoppage quickly to be able to get as many points as possible to advance to the next round. I was then able to follow this by asking who he hopes to face in the next round. Fortune Explained;
“Linton or Bilostenniy”
Currently, in the standings, Linton was unsuccessful in his last fight so will have work to do when he competes in the main event against Valentin Moldavsky. However, if both fighters can get quick stoppages there is no reason why this couldn’t be a playoff matchup. While the rematch against Bilostenniy would be appealing to get a proper result. This is going to have to be due to someone pulling out in the playoffs. This is due to Bilostenniy only being able to get a decision victory last time out and isn’t in playoff position currently. Bilostenniy has also been forced out of his fight this Thursday making him getting through by points no longer possible.
How Tyrell Fortune Handles the Pressure from Fans
As fans of the sport, we always want to see a highlight reel finish from fighters to get us jumping out of our seats. Just like what Max Holloway was able to achieve against Justin Gathje. I asked Tyrell how he handles the pressure from fans who are expecting these finishes every time he enters the octagon. Fortune responded by saying;
“I always want a finish so I don’t worry about the fans I just go out and perform to the best of my ability.”
While we may want the highlight reel finish from fighters and are expecting them to deliver Tyrell doesn’t feel the pressure from this. Earlier Fortune said that he is always looking to come away with the stoppage and is looking to get this done this Thursday in the first or second round. Being able to go out and get a stoppage victory is the first step into getting a highlight reel finish. If Tyrell Fortune can go out and perform like he normally does then he has a good shout at getting this highlight reel finish.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
