ARLINGTON, Texas – Even after Ray Cooper III missed weight for his welterweight PFL season opener, very few were counting on Carlos Leal to beat him.
Cooper (24-8-1) came in with back-to-back PFL welterweight titles, and Leal (17-3) was a short-notice replacement. But Leal largely dominated Cooper with scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 29-27 to burst onto the PFL scene.
“I wanted to come in and have a quick night out with him, but we’re talking about the two-time champion. This is no easy task for anyone. I’m just happy with my performance,” Leal said after his win in Arlington, Texas.
Now Leal says the rest of the division better be prepared for him in the second regular season fight trying to set the four-man postseason bracket.
“I’m not here just to be one of 10 – I’m here to win this whole thing,” Leal said. “This is a message to all the other guys at welterweight: If you get my name, you best prepare. You best come in shape because you’re signing up for a war.”
Check out Leal’s complete post-fight interview in the video above.