LAS VEGAS – Sean O'Connell knows better than anyone how to succeed in the PFL.
Utah’s O’Connell (21-10 MMA) earned $1 million and retired after he won the 2018 PFL light heavyweight tournament.
“The Real OC” credits his longtime coach and training partner Jeremy Horn for his success and subsequent seven-figure check.
The playoffs require competitors to compete multiple times in the same night. Back-to-back contests in the same evening present challenges, but O’Connell believes he was able to use the energy to his advantage.
“Most fighters I think can probably attest to this – when you win a fight, you feel invincible for a short time,” O’Connell told MMA Junkie. “Well, you don’t get to walk back in, in most formats. You’ve got to wait another six months before you fight again.
“Professional Fighters League offers an opportunity that if you’re healthy, you go right back in and you fight again and you’re still riding a little bit of that momentum. While it’s challenging and you’ve got to prepare for any one three different opponents on a given night, you get rewarded with the highest adrenaline you’re ever going to experience.”
Now a commentator for PFL, O’Connell felt the support of the fans in attendance when he was a competitor. He hopes with the PFL entering Las Vegas in 2019, fans will warm up to some of the newer fighters and bring the same kind of energy.
“Yeah, I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of support in my career and hopefully, if these events in Vegas in Mandalay Bay, it’s the fight capital of the world,” O’Connell said. “Fans here in Vegas know some of the fighters we’ve got. They’re being introduced to maybe some of our newcomers. I think the support will be loud and good for a lot of these folks.”
