PFL Europe’s Frans Mlambo On the Cusp of Stardom Despite Long Odds

Frans
Mlambo fought back the urge to retire several times in his
career and is just now starting to reap the fruits of his
labor.

Fighting out of
Straight Blast Gym in Ireland, which is also home to
Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Conor
McGregor, Mlambo’s mixed martial arts career hasn’t been a
smooth ride. Apart from going back and forth in his early career,
“The Zulu Irishman” even considered retirement at times due to a
lack of opportunities.

“Throughout the years there’s actually been a few times where
that’s happened. I’ve thought, ‘This sport is flipping stupid. I’m
working too hard and not getting the returns.’ If I was working
that hard doing something else I don’t feel like it would be the
same. A few times I thought I’d stop but the only reason I didn’t
stop was because I’d already worked too hard at it. I had to see it
through,” Mlambo recently told The Sun.

However, things changed for Mlambo after signing with the
Professional Fighters League earlier this year, where he
believes he is receiving his due recognition. The bantamweight
fighter is now in the
final stage of the PFL Europe tournament with a $100,000
winner-take-all prize up for grabs and a chance to enter the $1
million global season. Set to take on Khurshed
Kakhorov (11-1) in front of his home fans at the 3Arena in
Dublin, Mlambo already has his eyes set on bigger things.

“I’m after doing back-to-back wins and I’m in a final. The PFL are
hyping me up something crazy. I appreciate that and it’s not
something any organization has done, which I felt I deserved. The
hundred grand isn’t really going to change much when there’s a
million out there. That’s a whole different story. We’re trying to
get there and we’re on that path now but this is just a warmup.
This isn’t the end by any means.”