Lewis McGrillen-Evans Embraces Newfound Stardom

Lewis McGrillen-Evans made a bold claim that he would win the PFL Europe bantamweight tournament in 2024 and that the power in his left hand could not be matched. By picking up two wins via stoppage, including in the PFL Europe championship against Alexander Luster, McGrillen-Evans backed up his words and made an emphatic statement about his place in the Professional Fighters League.

After winning the PFL Europe title, there could have been an opportunity for McGrillen-Evans to join the company’s global roster. However, he weighed his options and chose to return to PFL Europe. McGrillen-Evans will get back to business on Saturday in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he squares off with Alan Philpott in the PFL Europe 1 co-main event at The SSE Arena. There, he looks to build on his recent success with the organization.

“It was bittersweet in a sense where I was like ‘I told you so’ to most people, but at the same time, I’m somewhat surprised,” McGrillen-Evans told Sherdog.com. “I was a bit overwhelmed. Even though I worked so hard and trained so hard for it—manifesting it—and for it just to happen, it’s crazy.”

As he prepares for another year with PFL Europe, McGrillen-Evans claims the championship version of himself from 2024 has evolved and improved. All of that success has led him to feel that he has put everyone on notice. McGrillen-Evans thinks the world has begun to recognize his talents, as his personal life has seen an uptick in fanfare. He believes it was wise financially to remain in PFL Europe but admits he would answer the short-notice call in the event he was needed for the promotion’s world tournament.

“I’m becoming a bit of a draw,” he said. “When we were negotiating my money, they gave me an offer for the global roster, but the money wasn’t great. I feel like the offer wasn’t really fair. We made a counter offer, and then they came back with sick money for PFL Europe. They said they wanted to headline me and put me in showcase fights, and it was all sick. I’m looking at the bantamweight world tournament. I’ll jump in the global [competition], and even with the money I’m making now, it’d be a beautiful MMA Cinderella story.”

Even with his plan to take over PFL Europe, McGrillen-Evans concedes that fighting in the United States would take his brand and stardom to another level.

“At the end of the day, the pinnacle of broadcasting is the United States,” he said. “Whether it’s sports, news, politics, it’s all in the States. If I get a chance to fight in the States and they see who I am, if I get the opportunity to show them, I’ll get a fanbase. It’s a dream of mine to fight in the United States. Who doesn’t want to fight in the United States? I’d fight anywhere in the United States.”

McGrillen-Evans sees Philpott as another steppingstone.

“I think he’s a bit delusional, if I’m being honest,” he said. “He’s just a throwback fighter. He uses things that used to work back in 2008 before I even got into fighting, when I was watching ‘Spongebob.’ I’m the new rising star. I feel like it’s crazy he wants to fight in his hometown, because I feel like I’m going to retire him in his hometown. He’s coming back to Belfast, and I’m going to bury him there.”

When asked if he views himself the next PFL Europe star, McGrillen-Evans did not hesitate to answer.

“100%,” he said. “I’m not even being arrogant. I will knock people out cold for anyone’s pleasure. You sit down, get a beer, have a doob, sit down and do what you have to do. You’ll watch my fights and see that it’s madness.”