2024 PFL 1: San Antonio Ceremonial Weigh-Ins at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
Linton Vassell entering 2024 PFL season ready to remind the world he’s one of the best
The time for waiting is over in the career of Linton Vassell. The long-time Bellator heavyweight contender has only had one fight in each of the last four years, with 2019 being the last calendar year where he fought more than once. Although he has not spent much time in the cage recently, he has made the most of it, picking up five consecutive wins with four finishes to his credit in that span.
After PFL purchased Bellator MMA, Vassell found himself with an opportunity to join the 2024 PFL Heavyweight tournament and set himself for the chance to win the PFL heavyweight title and a $1 million check. After years of waiting and politics getting in the middle of his title fight opportunity in his previous organization, “The Big Swarm” begins his PFL journey in San Antonio, Texas where he will take on Denis Goltsov, a finalist in the 2023 PFL Heavyweight season.
Speaking to MyMMANews.com, Vassell opened up on what it would mean for him to come into the PFL and win the organization’s heavyweight title. As someone who moved from the UK to Florida and established himself at Kill Cliff FC, Linton Vassell committed to his world title aspirations and he recognizes that a lifetime of work can all come together in one year of success in the 2024 season.
If you want motivation to get through the day or to help you overcome any obstacles you’re facing in life, listen to this clip of Linton Vassell discussing what it would mean to become PFL champion.
“The Big Swarm” coming to @PFLMMA this week highly motivated. pic.twitter.com/ObDMHGuwhR
— Mike Pendleton (@MP2310) April 3, 2024
“I’ll be saying to myself, it was worth it. The sacrifices, the dedication, all the things that I missed and put off, moving, I moved here all by myself, I knew I believed in myself. Because, we all believe in ourselves, but do you really believe in yourself? And to prove all them doubters wrong. Friends, family, whatever it may be, usually it’s your friends and your family. Prove the world wrong, that’s exactly how it is. Prove the everybody wrong. I know you doubted me, but look at me now.”
Taking the words “look at me now” from UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, another fighter from the UK who has seen his dreams come true, Vassell said he’s been humbled and the lessons he’s learned along the way will have him remind the world that he is among the very best there is.
“There’s no other way to put it ‘look at me now’ cause we all have it. You’ve probably had it in your life at some point, people just doubting you ‘Oh you shouldn’t do that. Why are you doing this?’ Because I want to do it. I might not be winning right now or things may not be going to plan right now, but it’s part of the journey.
If I never lost, I’d probably be a dickhead. I’d be so into myself. These trials, these tribulations, these hard times have really built me up to 1) be humble, not to say I wasn’t humble anyways, but it definitely does humble you and it makes you realize ‘Shit, I am human.’ I can lose at any time, I can lose to anybody, I better put the work in.”
That work begins in San Antonio Texas as Week 1 of the PFL Regular Season gets underway with the women’s flyweight and men’s heavyweight tournament taking center stage. After four straight years of only getting to fight once a year, Linton Vassell is looking to make the 2024 year his greatest one yet, while reminding the world of his name and his talent.
