The Professional Fighters League Has Another Manchester Superstar with Lewis McGrillen!

Published: Dec 19, 2024 Updated: Dec 19, 2024 Dan Kelly 4 mins read 0 Disclosure

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The 2024 PFL Europe championships concluded last week in Lyon, France, and late addition to the tournament, Lewis McGrillen announced himself to a wider audience with a fight-of-the-year contender vs Dean Garnett (12-3-1) and a stunning second-round finish over Alexander Luster (9-2) in the final. Taking home $100,000 and earning the right to enter the world championships next year, ‘The McGrizzla’ now carries an 11-1 professional record and confirmed himself as another Mancunian superstar on the PFL roster along with UK MMA legend Brendan Loughnane (30-6) and current women’s flyweight world champion Dakota Ditcheva (14-0).

A late call up to the bantamweight European tournament in September against the immensely popular Garnett proved to be a risk worth taking. ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready’ was the case here, and when you are rolling around on the mats in training with the likes of undefeated UFC featherweight contender Lerone Murphy at Manchester Top Team, you are as prepared as you can be for opportunities that come out of the blue.

The fight with Garnett will more than likely be awarded PFL fight of the year, fourteen knockdowns in one round between both warriors provided fans on the night in Glasgow with a contest to be hold. It was one of the most thrilling fights ever seen in the UK. The fight could of swung either way, however, it was McGrillen who landed the penultimate shot laying Garnett flat out on his face in the third round. The crowd went wild and the fight went viral, it was from that moment that the world started to know who ‘The McGrizzla’ is.

Fighting For $100,000!

Carrying huge momentum into the final he added to his highlight reel with a brutal finish on Alexander Luster, the Mancunian landed his trademark over hand left which sent the German flying across the canvas, a vicious ground and pound followed with elbows and hammer fists forcing the referee to jump in and wave it off. “I’ve just came in and robbed the bank mate” said McGrillen post fight as he was overjoyed with his nights work, walking away $100,000 richer.

Life-changing money for the young Wythenshawe fighter with that Manchester swagger and attitude makes him a great talker on the microphone. Add that to his electric style, and you will have all the ingredients for a superstar. Similar to fellow Mancunian Brendan Loughnane, who has resided in the PFL since 2019, winning the world championships in 2022 and coming up short in this year’s final. 2025 will now be McGrillen’s biggest year as a professional mixed martial artist, with the chance of winning $1,000,000 at the end of the PFL world championships tournament, which he qualified for through his win over Luster for the European belt.

Another Mancunian, Dakota Ditcheva, won the women’s flyweight European championships in 2023, followed by the world championships in 2024 and has skyrocketed to superstardom, now being considered the best flyweight in the world. Can McGrillen follow suit and repeat the achievements of Loughnane and Ditcheva? Only time will tell, but he certainly can conquer the bantamweight division in 2025.

Could We See ‘The McGrizzla’ In The UFC?

We certainly could see him in the ultimate fighting championship, his team mate and close friend Lerone Murphy will be singing his praises and the matchmakers will be more than aware who McGrillen is. But, for now, the sensible option for him in his relatively premature career is to grasp the opportunity to fight for one million dollars and continue to entertain under the Professional Fighters League banner.