PFL’s Chris Camozzi Talks Motivation for Fighting After Nearly 15-Year Career

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After all this time, he is still addicted to the sport.

Chris Camozzi (25-14, 0-0 PFL) is about to begin the next chapter in his career as “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 alum will join the Professional Fighters League 2021 Season’s 205-pound roster. After spending many years competing in the 185-pound division, the Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran believes moving up to light heavyweight will positively impact his career. For his first battle under the PFL banner, he is scheduled to face 2019 light heavyweight champion Emiliano Sordi on April 29.

“I fought at 205 in the beginning of my career, then I went down to 185,” he said while talking with Sherdog. “With Glory, I was kickboxing for a while, I was fighting in their light heavyweight division, which is 209, and then I did have two fights in MMA at 205. [The new weight class] is not that brand new to me, and I’m plenty big enough to be in that weight class with those guys. I was always really big for 185.”

In July, Camozzi will pass the 15-year landmark in his career. In his latest appearance, he submitted Tony Lopez thanks to an arm-triangle choke in the opening stanza of their SCL 76 encounter.

“I love competition, and I’m super competitive in everything," he said when asked about what motivates him to keep competing. "If we go bowling, I’m going to try to beat you in every game. I’m competitive in everything. I love this as a job, I’m lucky enough to do it. Not everybody gets to do it as a full-time job. There are guys, even in the UFC, that have a full-time job. I’ve been very fortunate to do it for so long. It’s always motivating for me, I’m really self-motivated. Each day, I wake up, and I want to get better because there is nothing worse than losing on national TV or getting beaten up in front of friends and family and stuff like that. I feel like anybody in this sport lacking motivation or doesn’t have that self-motivation, it’s the wrong sport for them.”