PFL 4: 'Big Swarm' Linton Vassell targets trilogy win in Connecticut

The PFL SmartCage lands in Bellator country, as the latest stop in the Professional Fighters League’s regular season sees the fighters arrive in Uncasville, Connecticut for PFL 4.

The Mohegan Sun Arena was the regular home for Bellator during the pandemic, and the venue has hosted the Bellator cage on 46 separate occasions, more than any other in the promotion’s history.

Now, following Bellator’s acquisition by the PFL, the newly-strengthened PFL brand heads to Uncasville, with a host of former Bellator fighters on the card for Thursday night’s event.

Headlining the card is a heavyweight trilogy between two former Bellator stalwarts. Russia’s Valentin Moldavsky is a 10-fight Bellator veteran, who previously held interim heavyweight gold for the promotion, while England’s Linton Vassell is a veteran of 17 Bellator contests and a two-time light heavyweight title challenger.

The pair have met twice before, with the score standing at one win apiece. Moldavsky welcomed Vassell to the heavyweight division at Bellator 218 and defeated the Englishman on the scorecards. But “Big Swarm” gained his revenge in the rematch with a first-round elbow-TKO finish at Bellator 292 in March 2023.

Linton Vassell and Valentin Moldavsky — Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA

Now, just over a year on from that meeting, the pair are set to face off again, and, with the victory in that fight still fresh in his mind, Vassell is confident of victory, and bragging rights, in the trilogy bout.

“To be honest, it’s business as usual,” he said during a global media call ahead of the event.

“The first fight, I learned my lesson. Came back, adjusted myself for the second fight. So for this third fight I know he’s obviously changed his gameplan a little bit and it’s the same here. So I’m excited for this trilogy. It’s bragging rights, isn’t it?”

With the knowledge that he picked up the victory last time out, Vassell said his preparation for the trilogy bout was less about reinventing the wheel and more about sharpening his skills and making sure he’s fully ready for an opponent who he’s now very familiar with.

“I won the last fight, so it doesn’t really mean changes (need) to be added in,” he explained.

“But obviously I’ve worked on a few things – not necessarily changes, but I’ve been working on a few more things. Obviously, cardio can’t be a factor, make sure my strength’s up there, my ground work, my striking, my defence.

“I’ve ticked all those boxes, and pretty much we’ll see what happens, because it’s all going to be put on the line right there and then. You can talk as much (as you like), but the time for talking is over.”

The matchup takes place as part of the PFL’s heavyweight global season, with the two fighters experiencing contrasting fortunes in their opening regular season matchups. Vassell suffered a third-round TKO defeat to Denis Goltsov, while Moldavsky delivered a statement performance with a first-round TKO of former champion Ante Delija.

“To be honest, after my last performance, I just knew I was going to fight Valentin, or maybe one of his teammates – I just had a feeling. And then it was funny, I actually saw Valentin call me out.

“I knew the trilogy was going to happen at some point. I thought it would happen in the final because I didn’t expect to lose my first fight, so for me, I knew it was going to happen at some point, and I’m excited that it’s happening.

“This is something that has made me train even harder for this fight, considering my last outcome, and considering this is the rubber match, and I need to get some points.”

And, while Vassell knows the fight is all about getting his PFL heavyweight season back on track, it’s also an opportunity to make a statement of his own, by defeating the season’s outstanding performer so far and putting himself firmly in the frame for success further down the line.

“He did exactly what you have to do, man,” said Vassell of Moldavsky’s win over Delija.

“He went in there and stopped the former champion. So, hats off to him, he did great. So I need to go in there now and beat the guy who’s in the top of the heavyweight poll right now. And when I do, all eyes are gonna be on me.”