Jesus Pinedo hopeful to make PFL playoffs, out to finish Brendan Loughnane 'from the very first second'

Jesus Pinedo knows he has a tough road to make it into the 2023 PFL playoffs, but he’s not sweating it.

A first-round finish on Thursday would put the Peruvian fighter in a solid position to make the playoffs. However, Pinedo (20-6-1), who currently has zero points in the standings, has to do it against 2022 PFL featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane in the main event of PFL 2023, Week 4 in Atlanta, Georgia.

After dropping a close split decision at 2023 PFL 1 to Gabriel Alves Braga, Pinedo knows what needs to get done, and believes he won’t have to change his style to achieve it.

“We always train finishing the fight whether it’s in the first, second or third,” Pindedo told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “We don’t wait. We don’t expect to go to a decision because of situations like last time.

“I felt I won the fight. Everyone thinks I won the fight, but they gave it to my rival. But oh well, those are things that happen. We’re ready for our rival, and we have all the motivation in the world to go out there and finish the fight from the very first second.”

Loughnane (26-4) is coming off a TKO win over former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes this past April. Pindedo liked what he saw, but says it’s comparable to the rest of the division.

“He’s a good fighter,” Pinedo said when asked to analyze Loughnane. “He’s a tough fighter, just like all the fighters in the season. There’s no easy fights here. I see that he’s a striker. His best weapon are the kicks, and we’ve worked on that. We simply came here not to see what happens, but to win. Thursday, you guys will see that.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 4.