Ray Cooper looking forward to two PFL fights in one night

Looking back on his 2019 PFL regular season, welterweight Ray Cooper III is quick to move past his two fights and move on to the playoffs.

Though Cooper was able to come away with a win in his first bout in May versus Zane Kamaka, a loss to John Howard in July has him ready to start fresh starting with his upcoming quarterfinal playoff bout.

“It was the first two fights coming back (from the 2018 PFL Finals) and the first fight fighting against my cousin (in Kamaka), it was good, I wanted to make a statement in the first fight,” Cooper told MMAWeekly.com. “In the second fight I took the loss (to Howard).

“I’m just looking forward to the playoffs and fighting two times in one night again and making history. I kind of forget about the last two fights and basically look forward to the playoffs.”

With the first event of the playoffs, fighters will potentially have two bouts in one evening, which is something to which Cooper is very much looking forward.

“You’ve just got to see how the fight goes and take it one fight at a time,” said Cooper. “You can’t look to far ahead because you lose that fight and you’re out, so you’ve got to focus on what’s in front of you and worry about the rest later.

“Fighting two times in one night is awesome. It’s like how they fought back in the old days. It shows how you push through adversity. It’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait.”

On Friday in Las Vegas, Cooper (18-7) will face Sadibou Sy (8-5-1) in a welterweight quarterfinal bout at PFL 2019  No. 7: Playoffs.

“Obviously (Sy has) got a big height and reach advantage me,” Cooper said. “I think my pace and the pressure I’ll put on him, I’ll get to him sooner or later and finish him.”

Having made it to the finals of the 2018 season, Cooper has an opportunity to repeat the task in 2019, but for how his focus is on Sy first and taking each step as it comes from there.

“I don’t think about that,” said Cooper. “I just take it one fight at a time. The guy in front of me is the championship fight. I got to get past everything to get there. Every fight is important. I just focus on the guy in front of me and worry about the rest later.”