After move to lightweight, Pablo Sabori excited to showcase improved self in return to Combate Global

Pablo Sabori is looking to make the most out of his prime years in MMA.

The former participant on “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3” returns to action Friday, as he headlines “Combate Global: Mexico vs. USA” against Salvador Becerra (8-3) in Miami. This is the first time Sabori (10-6) fights for Combate Global, formerly known as Combate Americas, since the promotion resumed operation earlier this month after being on halt for a year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Sabori didn’t fight for the majority of 2019 and early 2020 while he recovered from an injury. Then the pandemic hit, which caused even a longer layoff for his MMA career, as Combate Global suspended events.

The Mexican fighter would have gone two years without competing in MMA if it wasn’t for Combate Global allowing him to get in two fights outside of the organization in late 2020, fighting under the the LUX Fight League banner.

“It was a tough year that put all professional athletes in a tough spot, and the future was uncertain,” Sabori told MMA Junkie in his native Spanish. “We didn’t know for sure how long we were going to be out for, how long this was going to be.

“I think that after mentally preparing during my recovery of my last injury, that helped me a lot. Imagine, if an injury didn’t stop me in a fight and the recovery didn’t stop me either, I knew that being a year, year-and-a-half out of action, it wasn’t going to take away my motivation for my goals and plans. It helped me a lot to evolve as a fighter. I used that time a lot. We had the fortune that the whole professional team of Entram, many of us were in Tijuana, so we were able to continue training behind closed doors, of course, but we were able to continue training.”

Sabori trains with the likes of UFC’s Brandon Moreno and Marcelo Rojo in Tijuana. The 29-year-old is glad to be resuming his career once again under Combate Global and headlining their second event back from the pandemic stop.

Sabori is also stoked to show Combate Global fans his evolution in skill, as well as his performance now at 155 pounds. The long-time featherweight moved up to lightweight late last year and is planning on keeping that move permanent.

“This will be my third fight at 155 pounds, and I think this new weight has suited me very well,” Sabori explained. “We were fighting at 145 pounds, and that’s where I suffered many injuries, and my career was very hindered. I was on the sidelines for a long time with injuries.

“I sat down with my team, my coach, my physical trainer, and we spoke about it. We did medical exams and we saw that I had a deficiency in vitamin D, and when I was doing that big weight cut, my bones were losing minerals, and that’s where the injuries were coming. This is my third fight at 155 pounds, and I’m a completely different fighter. If you look at the fights at 145 compared to 155, it’s a different style, and physically you can notice the difference. I look much healthier and feel great.

“I’ve been doing my homework, and Salvador is a real lightweight. He’s got a good size for the division. He’s a fighter that uses volume and likes to move forward. I’ve done my homework well, and I’m prepared for the challenge and to deal with whatever he was to throw my way.”

“Combate Global: Mexico vs. USA” airs live in the U.S. on Univision.