Jesus Pinedo aims for a decisive win against Gabriel Braga on June 12 in Nashville. This fight is crucial as it determines a spot in the 2025 PFL featherweight tournament finals.
Their first encounter was in April 2023 in Las Vegas, where Braga stepped in on short notice and secured a split decision victory. Eight months later, they met again for the 145-pound championship. This time, Pinedo won the $1 million prize by knockout in the third round.
Officially, they are tied 1-1 heading into PFL 5 on Thursday, but the Peruvian fighter disagrees with this assessment.
“You’ve heard me say this before, and I’ll keep saying it forever: I did not lose that first fight against Gabriel Braga,” Pinedo stated via a translator. “I truly believe I`m 2-0 against him now, and on June 12, I’ll make it 3-0. I`m going in there to break him, secure a stoppage, and advance to the finals.”
Pinedo describes the Brazilian as “a very respectable opponent” but foresees another decisive finish to earn his spot in the $500,000 final. His opponent there will be the winner of the Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Tae Kyun Kim bout.
“When we face off, I am coming to break him and secure my spot in the finals,” Pinedo asserted. “Gabriel`s undeniable strength is his fight IQ. He`s certainly a great fighter, but what I bring to our fight is something he cannot handle. I`m coming in there to break him. I don`t believe he has the strategy to figure me out because I am such a unique fighter. So on June 12, I will claim that victory.”
“My confidence is constant, but it doesn`t stem from defeating opponents or securing specific wins,” he added. “My confidence originates from waking up at 4:30 every morning, running, and completing all the necessary repetitions to achieve success. Therefore, the confidence I possess is entirely derived from my training and my efforts outside the cage – that’s what truly builds my confidence.”
Pinedo has secured 15 of his 24 professional victories by knockout, but he believes his ground game is frequently underestimated. His last submission win was in 2018, during his time as Inka FC champion in his home country, Peru. He expressed pride in representing luta livre in his fights.
“Many people aren’t aware that [I’m a luta livre black belt]; they assume we don’t train wrestling. However, the truth is, wrestling and grappling constitute the majority of our daily training,” Pinedo explained. “That is the source of strength for the academy where I train. If the fight goes to the ground, I have no hesitation whatsoever in showcasing my grappling skills to the world and securing a submission victory if necessary.”
Last March, PFL signed a broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Mexico. Subsequently, company CEO Peter Murray mentioned the potential for launching a PFL Latin America league “as early as next year.”
Pinedo noted that the MMA scene in Peru is “growing year over year.” Although it doesn`t boast the same density of elite fighters in major promotions as countries like Brazil and Mexico, Peruvian fighters are “making noise, establishing their names, and representing their nation effectively.”
While PFL has not yet announced plans for a Latin America event in 2026, Pinedo expressed a strong desire to be the face of that endeavor – and potentially headline a PFL show held in Peru in the future.
“That is absolutely a dream of mine,” Pinedo affirmed. “It’s something I constantly think about. My hope is to pursue this championship final in the world tournament, and then, with two belts under the PFL banner, I believe that will be sufficient to bring a PFL event here to Peru, allowing me to fight at home. The future remains somewhat uncertain; we don’t know exactly how things will unfold. However, I will continue to do my part by winning and becoming a champion. I know that is the only way to significantly support the effort to bring PFL to Peru.”
