Marcin Held is embracing the role of underdog heading into his PFL debut.
Held (26-7) takes on reigning lightweight champion Natan Schulte in the co-main event of PFL 2021, Week 1 on Friday, which airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.
He faces a tall order in back-to-back champion Schulte, who’s unbeaten during his PFL tenure. But Held, who’s garnered plenty of experience competing against the best during his stints with elite promotions such as the UFC and Bellator, is more than up for the challenge.
“I was glad when I found out about it,” Held told MMA Junkie. “I like being the underdog in the fight. This is a big advantage for me. I can shock the world. I don’t want to do a prediction. I hope we will give a good fight, and I will win.”
Held has trained with Schulte (20-3-1) before, years ago at American Top Team, but he doesn’t recall much, which he considers a good thing.
“To be honest, I don’t remember him from that time,” Held said. “There were so many new guys in the gym, and he wasn’t so popular at that time. It also means that he didn’t (make) an impression on me in training.”
Most fighters, including Schulte, are dubbing former WEC and UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, who faces Clay Collard in the night’s headliner, as a potential finalist. However, Held doesn’t necessarily echo the same sentiment.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about it,” Held said. “All fighters in this division are very good, and the level is quite even.”
Marcin Held: Being underdog vs. PFL champ Natan Schulte ‘a big advantage for me’
