KEY POINTS

  • Mikhail Odintsov entered the PFL bubble without his team
  • Fellow fighter Brendan Loughnane extends a helping hand and takes Odintsov in
  • Both men are scheduled to compete at PFL 1 on April 23

Imagine being stuck inside a bubble in a foreign country, alone, and unable to speak the native language.

That’s exactly what happened to Belarusan mixed martial artist Mikhail Odintsov, who found himself inside the Professional Fighters League (PFL) bubble without his team.

READ ALSO: WATCH: Son Avenges Father's MMA Loss To Longtime Rival 14 Years Later

Odintsov, who will be competing in the lightweight tournament of the upcoming 2021 PFL season, entered the bubble at the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey last week. Unfortunately for him, his team wasn’t around after experiencing visa issues.

Not the ideal scenario for Odintsov, who will be fighting at PFL 1 on April 23rd. Fortunately for him, he found a team that was willing to welcome him with open arms.

Enter English featherweight Brendan Loughnane, who decided to invite Odintsov to join his team for the time being.

“Found this fella in the host hotel with no corner team due to visa issues. Stuck here for 17 days and can’t speak the language. We’ve taken him under our wing and can’t wait to watch him perform. Martial arts is a universal language,” Loughnane tweeted.

Loughnane, who competed in the 2019 season of the PFL, trains out of the Predators Gym in Manchester, England. He holds a 19-3 professional record.

Prior to his PFL stint, Loughnane competed in the UFC, BAMMA, and ACB. This season, he looks to finally capture gold as he kicks off his campaign against fellow veteran and promotional newcomer Sheymon Moraes of Brazil at PFL 1 on April 23.

Mikhail Odintsov
Mikhail Odintsov @BrendanMMA on Twitter

Odintsov, meanwhile, won a pair of qualifying bouts to earn a spot in the PFL featherweight elimination round. He will also be making his promotional debut and comes in with an 18-2 slate with a seven-fight winning streak.

The Belarusian begins his PFL stint against Akhmet Aliev of Russia competing alongside Loughnane on the same card.

The 2021 PFL season is shaping up to be quite an exciting one, especially with the highly-anticipated debuts of the likes of Anthony Pettis, Fabricio Werdum, Rory MacDonald, and three-division boxing world champion Claressa Shields.

RELATED STORIES