Sullivan Cauley, left, squares up with an opponent during a fight with the Bellator promotion in 2023. Cauley will be making his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
On Thursday evening, Sullivan Cauley will be back in the ring for the first time in 21 months, fighting under the PFL (Professional Fighters League) banner.
The Minden native and Reno High School graduate will take on Marcelo Nunez, who fights out of Brazil and holds an 11-2 record as a professional.
Cauley boasts a 6-1 pro record, but an extended absence from the octagon will make things interesting for the Northern Nevada native.
Cauley and Nunes will be fighting on a none-event card, which begins at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN-Plus. The main card switches to ESPN2 at 7 p.m.
The first round of the PFL’s heavyweight and light heavyweight tournament will be held at Universal Studios in Orlando.
STYLES MAKE FIGHTS
It’ll be two contrasting styles in Thursday’s bout.
Cauley made his name in Bellator by being a ferocious, action-packed brawler, proving his capability of knocking anyone out.
“I'm always going to, you know, throw heat, be aggressive,” said Cauley.
Nunes brings a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background and in his 11-2 record he holds eight wins by submission. Both of his losses are by knockout.
The 36-year-old Brazilian hasn’t been in a bout of his own since April 12, 2024, where he fought in the heavyweight class.
Nunes has been fighting in the PFL since 2022 and holds a two-inch reach advantage over Cauley despite being eight years older.
“I love the tournament format,” said Cauley in an online interview with Cageside Press. “You can really change the course of your whole career in four, five months.”
Cauley opened as a minus-150 favorite in Vegas sports books.