PFL's Raush Manfio: Victory over Anthony Pettis Turned Me into a Lion

Raush Manfio might consider changing his nickname in the future.

Fans had to wait for almost three years before seeing Manfio (13-3, 2-0 PFL) back in action, but it was worth it. After signing with the Professional Fighters League and stepping into the 2021 Regular Season as a late replacement for Olivier Aubin-Mercier against Joilton Lutterbach at PFL 1, he went on to edge his experienced opponent via split decision. In his next battle, he outpointed former Ultimate Fighting Championship 155-pound titleholder Anthony Pettis en route to earn a spot into this year’s semifinals. Now, the 29-year-old is set to face Clay Collard on Aug. 13. The Brazilian who goes by “Cavalo de Guerra,” meaning “Warhorse,” feels that nobody should be underestimating him after his victory over “Showtime.”

“I turned myself into a lion,” Manfio told Sherdog. “I think right now I can beat anyone in the world. I know how good I became, but it doesn’t matter how you think you are. You need to prove yourself. Against him, I can’t tell you I’m going to win the tournament; if I go out there and don’t show a good performance, it’s nothing. When I won against him [I proved] that I really am one of the best fighters in the world. I know I still have a long journey to go, to become No. 1, but you can put my name for sure into the Top 20 in the world. I think I’m able to occupy this place.”

Tudor Leonte started writing about mixed martial arts in 2013 for Italian media outlets. His journey with Sherdog began in 2018 and now he covers One Championship and countless European shows. You can follow him on Twitter @MrTudorLeonte.