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A long-awaited return may soon reveal whether or not the whole
absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder proverb rings true for Natan
Schulte.
The two-time
Professional Fighters League lightweight tournament winner will
climb into the cage for the first time in almost three years when
he confronts the undefeated Jakub
Kaszuba in a featured
PFL Pittsburgh prelim on Saturday at the UPMC Events Center.
Schulte rose to prominence when he was the company’s last man
standing at 155 pounds in 2018 and 2019, resulting in two
seven-figure paydays.
“The PFL wasn’t that well known, even by professional fighters,”
Schulte told Sherdog.com. “After I was the champion in both of
those years, I went from being just another fighter outside the UFC
to being recognized internationally. The main change for me was
being able to dedicate myself full-time to training since 2018.
Before that, I had to split time with a job.”
An undercard clash with Kaszuba awaits the 34-year-old Brazilian.
It marks Schulte’s first appearance in more than 1,000 days.
Kaszuba, 30, boasts a perfect 15-0 record with eight finishes.
Operating out of a Gracie Barra affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida,
he was a two-time PFL Europe tournament winner before he migrated
to the main roster.
“He’s a very good fighter,” Schulte said. “Age-wise, he’s not that
much younger, but he is younger in MMA. His fight record isn’t as
extensive despite having won at PFL Europe. Maybe he hasn’t faced
someone as experienced as I [am]. I think our fight will play out
on the mat since he’s a grappler, but where he is good, I’m even
better. I expect to win by submission.”
Forgettable encounter
Schulte has not suited up since PFL 6 on June 23, 2023, when he
took a unanimous decision from Raush
Manfio. Their performance was widely panned, as the two
American Top Team stablemates seemingly refused to engage one
another at full force. Both men were suspended by the promotion
afterward.
“Regarding my bout against Raush, it’s pretty much what I said soon
thereafter,” Schulte said. “Beforehand, we agreed to go for it, but
the fight simply didn’t play out the way we expected. We didn’t
want to injure the other, so it was a lukewarm fight. That’s pretty
much what happened. After I faced Raush, I haven’t fought in nearly
three years. There were a lot of things. The PFL dismissed me
[after the fight]. After that, I was a free agent. Sometime later,
the PFL rehired me. Then I got injured. That explains why I was
away for so long.”
Schulte returns to a changed landscape in the PFL, one in which the
tournament format has been replaced by a more traditional rankings
system.
“Now [that] the PFL will have rankings like the UFC,” he said, “I
hope to be among the Top 5—or even the Top 2—by the end of the year
so I can fight for the belt in the near future.”