{"id":378135,"date":"2026-08-22T05:48:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T05:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/378135\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T05:48:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T05:48:17","slug":"why-misled-luke-trainer-was-furious-over-pfl-tampa-booking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/378135\/","title":{"rendered":"Why ‘misled’ Luke Trainer was ‘furious’ over PFL Tampa booking"},"content":{"rendered":"Aug. 21, 2026, 10:00 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Luke Trainer said he thought a PFL title shot was in his future. Instead, he’s fighting “some random geezer.”<\/p>\n
Trainer (10-1) on Saturday fights Roland Dunlap (7-0) in a light heavyweight bout on the main card at PFL Tampa (ESPN\/ESPN+) at Benchmark International Arena in Florida. Dunlap fought in the PFL’s Challenger Series more than three years ago and most recently has held the middleweight title for Anthony Pettis’ APFC promotion.<\/p>\n
But still, that’s not the title shot or ranked 205er England’s Trainer thought he was getting.<\/p>\n
“I was virtually promised a (shot at the) belt after my last fight, taking out a former (PFL season winner in Rob Wilkinson),” Trainer told MMA Junkie Radio. “\u2026 Basically, they said ‘Get ready for September \u2013\u00a0the belt’s yours,’ and now I’m fighting a guy who’s had one fight in PFL before.<\/p>\n
“I don’t really know what their plan is for me. They tell me where to go, and I’ll fight. It is what it is.”<\/p>\n
The 30-year-old Trainer said he didn’t exactly have a good taste in his mouth after the PFL pivoted from what he presumed would be a big opportunity to a relative unknown in the 33-year-old Dunlap.<\/p>\n
Trainer spends much of his time outside the fight game helping fund and build foster homes for vulnerable children in the area around his native Stevenage in England. A title fight could have been a game-changer for that cause.<\/p>\n
“Yeah, (I felt misled). I was furious,” Trainer said. “I think it’s very clear now that I don’t fight so I can buy Range Rovers and Rolexes. I fight so I can build children’s homes \u2013\u00a0I’ve got a higher purpose in this. This isn’t my forever (job). I’ve worn the same pair of Vans for the last year and a half. My money goes toward something super near and dear to my heart, and I rely on these checks to fund the other stuff I want to be doing in life.<\/p>\n
“So when I think, ‘Sick \u2013 I get a title fight, that’s ‘X’ amount of money, and this plan can move forward by then,’ and suddenly it’s, ‘Oh, we’re not going to give you a title fight now. We’re going to get you to fight some random geezer who’s a very, very tricky puzzle, and you’re going to have to figure out how to fight him with very little footage. Good luck.’ All right. Cool. It is what it is. But I can’t be the happiest about it.”<\/p>\n
Trainer is the third biggest betting favorite on the card with odds at more than 4-1 for him.<\/p>\n
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