Currently one of the top prospects in Mixed Martial Arts coming out of Brazil in the lightweight division, Manoel Sousa has filed a lawsuit against the Professional Fighters League after the event did not allow him to compete on the DWCS last August as told to MMA fighting and Guiherme Cruz
Sousa competed in the PFL Challenger series which would be a very similar prospect league to Dana White’s Contender Series and even though he won his fight he was not awarded an opportunity to compete in the LW Million dollar tournament.
Sousa won his PFL challenger match and was offered another PFL Challenger bout two weeks later however he tested positive for Covid19. Sousa thought he was a Free agent however when an offer came from Dana White’s Contender Series his PFL enforced contract rights preventing him from competing.
“They put me as a backup, but that wasn’t my goal. I told them I wouldn’t do it, I train really hard every single day, I live in the gym, and I’m chasing my dreams. My dream is to fight in the UFC and the offer came, but (PFL) wants to keep me locked. I thought I was free to fight anywhere, but that wasn’t the case. They don’t want to let me go.”
Details related to the lawsuit filed in Sao Paulo Brazil state that the 26 year old fighter in illiterate in Portuguese, and the PFL contract sent to him by his previous manager was in English, therefore he didn’t know what he was signing up for. Sousa expected to be a free agent if PFL chose not to sign I’m after what he thought was the only bout on a 1 fight deal. Sousa has now discovered the contract sites 3 years.
Will the PFL bring former SFT LW champion and 2x Cage Fury Veteran Manumito into the promotion or will they set him free? more details soon.