Jonny Stapleton
It’s so perfectly lined up the usually sceptical Dylan Tuke has become a believer of destiny.
Tuke, along with Franz Mlambo, will represent Dublin in the PFL’s first international league, an MMA competition that plans to ‘showcases the very best Mized Martial Arts athletes from across Europe’ in tournament format.
32 of European fighters from across 14 countries will compete across four weight classes, fighting first for a place in the play offs in Paris with big Championships Finals night in Dublin where $100,000 will be up for grabs to follow on December 8.
It’s couldn’t be laid out any better claims the ‘The Nuke’.
Indeed, such is the sequence of events he wonders if fate and not just his talent will see him celebrating in his hometown come the end of the year.
“I don’t really like to refer to destiny so much, I don’t know it seems kind of lame. But it almost feels like destiny, feels like it’s just meant to happen,” he told the Dublin Gazette.
“I can vision myself and see myself with the gold belt around my waist with the Dublin crowd screaming my name.
“It’s going to happen; I can feel it. It’ll be a perfect way to cap off a 15-year journey and a 15 year career.”
After four events, four PFL European Champions will be crowned with each champion taking home $100,000 and having the chance to earn their spot on the PFL global roster
where they repeat the process internationlly for $1million.
Mlambo, a South African who fights out of Dublin is delighted with the fact he has three fights lined up but is looking beyond the Dublin finals night.
The John Kavanagh trained‘Black Mamba,’who moved to Dublin at 11, is eyeing up the $1million prize pot which will be fought for by the continential winners on the PFL Global roster.
“If I won this season, in December, that would be fantastic. But that win would just be the beginning of this journey with the PFL.
“This is just the warmup, that’s how I’m looking at this tournament.
“It is a big step up, it’s a high-level tournament and $100,000 is nothing to look past but at the same time I’ve been in this game for so long and I haven’t achieved as much as I would have liked too.
“This gives me the opportunity to get to a point where I’m comfortable, financially. After this championship, hopefully I’d get into the global season next year, it’s given me a chance to get my future together really.
“I’m 32 now so it’s time to get going with this whole thing!”
Both fighters make their tournament debuts in Berlin this weekend, the Scotland trained Tuke takes on Connor Hughes in the featherweight division, while Mlambo takes on Dominique Wooding in the bantamweight division.
Both are just excited to get going.
“I’m feeling ready, happy and very optimistic about this tournament,” comments ‘The Nuke’.
“I feel like it’s came round at a perfect time in my career, I’m just excited about going out there and showing my skills on such a big stage. I’m grateful and honoured that PFL have snapped me up and I get to go and compete with a such legitimate company.”
Mlambo, a gold medal winner at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation World Championships in 2015echoed those sentiments.
“I feel like this opportunity with the PFL has come at a very good time. It has given me the opportunity to have what I want, what I’ve always wanted in my career, which is activity, I have three fights lined up now which is really rare in this sport except for obviously the tournaments. It works out perfect for me. It’s a great opportunity to have something that I’ve always wanted in my career, and now it’s right in front of me.”
Click on link below to read more in this weeks digital edition
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