HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Antonio Carlos Junior has found happiness in his latest career chapter.
The winner of season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” is enjoying his time under the PFL banner. Carlos Junior (11-5) is gearing up for his third PFL fight, as he takes on Emiliano Sordi in a semifinal bout of the 2021 PFL light heavyweight season.
The contest goes down on the main card of 2021 PFL Playoffs 3 on Friday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The main card airs on ESPN 2 and ESPN+ with the prelims exclusively on ESPN+.
Carlos Junior is two fights away from winning the PFL title and the grand prize of $1 million and he’s relishing every moment.
“It’s been nice, it’s a new chapter, a new era in my life,” Carlos Junior told MMA Junkie. “I just love to be here fighting for PFL. I think I found my place. I’m really happy to be here.”
Carlos Junior just needs to focus on winning if he wants to become champion in PFL, which has been good for him as he’s not a fan of the trash talk and the politics found in other promotions where the season format is not present.
“It’s great, I fit in this,” Carlos Junior said. “I’m an athlete and I like fighting, that’s what I like to do. I don’t really like trash talking. That’s not my style. I don’t feel comfortable doing that. As I said before, I like people. I don’t have hate inside of me. I love what I do and I love fighting and competing. That’s why I choose to be a fighter.”
Carlos Junior has fought some of the best fighters at 185 pounds in the UFC. Names such as Marvin Vettori, Uriah Hall, Brad Tavares, and others make up his resume.
The Brazilian has found happiness in PFL, but also a high level of competition similar to the UFC’s.
“It’s the same thing,” Carlos Junior said. “You can see guys like Rory MacDonald, they lost. There’s a lot of guys standing in the way and the level is high. Sometimes you have unknown fighters, but they’re really, really good.
“The level is high here and it’s getting better and better. Every year you see better guys coming and signing with the PFL and a lot of big names now. It’s not easy at all.”
Antonio Carlos Junior happy with switch from UFC to PFL: ‘I found my place’