English bantamweight prospect Lewis McGrillen added more momentum to his growing hype train as he knocked out Amrali Saydoshurov after a wild battle in their showcase bout at PFL Europe 2.
McGrillen and Saydoshurov faced off on the fight card in Berlin, Germany, with both men entering the PFL Europe SmartCage with the same intention – to stand and trade until their opponent breaks.
McGrillen got to work early and connected frequently with big southpaw left hands, but Saydoshurov ate the Englishman’s best shots early and kept pressing forward, throwing punches of his own.
It meant the bout turned into a toe-to-toe war, with the Tajikistan fighter refusing to take a backward step in a breathless opening round.
His relentless approach earned the respect of former UFC heavyweight contender Stefan Struve, who was commentating on the fight, with “The Skyscraper” describing Saydoshurov as “The Tajikizombie”.
After a wild opening round, the pair went to war from the bell at the start of Round 2, with McGrillen keen to push Saydoshurov onto the back foot.
Then, with the Tajikistan fighter looking to set his feet to throw a big shot, McGrillen unleashed a huge left hand that knocked Saydoshurov out clean for a highlight-reel finish.
After his win, a still fired-up McGrillen recapped his crowd-pleasing performance as he chatted with PFL commentator Sean O’Connell.
“He’s a tough cookie, that’s what I thought – I can’t lie,” he said.
“It’s only a matter of time. You think you can take the shots, you can try to take some shots, but it’s only a matter of time until I fully gulag you.
“He was shelling up well. I was a bit overbearing, I was moving in a bit of a straight line too much. I felt like I was overprepared backstage. But, it is what it is.
“But I’m f*****g ready for any c**t, I swear. I’m going to kill you all.”
McGrillen was then asked if he felt he was ready to step up to the cut and thrust of a PFL Europe season, with the Mancunian saying he’d be willing to face “any man,” before making a bold request to the PFL Europe brass.
“I just want to put this out here. I should headline Manchester, you know,” he said.
“Manchester Arena. I’m telling you now, I will sell it out. You haven’t got a star like me. Who’s the biggest star in bantamweight right now? F**k them all. Why not me? And I’m gonna prove it. Come to Manchester!”