British fighter Brendan Loughnane could win the $1 million PFL tournament, according to analyst Kenny Florian

• Brendan Loughnane has what it takes to win the $1 million PFL MMA tournament in 2021.
• That's according to PFL analyst and ex-fighter Kenny Florian, who is impressed by the British competitor.
• The PFL starts its 2021 season on Friday. It will be broadcast on ESPN+ and ESPN 2.

British fighter Brendan Loughnane has enough talent and potential to win the $1 million PFL MMA featherweight tournament.

That's according to PFL analyst and commentator Kenny Florian, a former fighter himself, who recently told Insider that he is blown away by the striker's footwork and believes the 31-year-old could come of age in 2021.

"I've been watching Brendan for a long time and always felt like he's one of those guys who had a tremendous amount of potential," former UFC athlete Florian said. "It now seems like he's realizing that potential."

Loughnane has fought twice in PFL before but competes in the 145-pound competition Friday as the company's new season begins after a 16-month COVID-enforced hiatus. Loughnane fights Sheymon Moraes in the first round.

The first event in the new season, PFL 1, takes place behind-closed-doors at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, and additional points will be awarded to fighters if they win by knockout or submission.

The earlier the finish, the more points that athlete gets. These extra points can prove vital as fighters vie for league rankings, and a playoff push later in the campaign, before a high-stakes $1 million final at the end of the year.

The featherweight bracket is home to 2019 champion Lance Palmer, who will be hoping to retain his title this season.

But Florian expects Loughnane to impress in 2021.

"Watching him compete over the last few years it seems like he's a much more mature fighter who is really believing in his skills, and putting it all together extremely well," said the commentator.

"For me, he's one of the favorites. He's in a tough division, but the way he moves and fights … this tournament is coming at a very good time for Brendan, and I think he can go very far and potentially even take the whole thing."

It is easy to analyze Loughnane's striking and say he can throw good kicks and nasty elbows, but Florian said what really separates him from other strikers is his expert footwork.

"Brendan possesses excellent footwork," Florian said. "He knows how to get in, and get out. And for the most part, he's defensively responsible.

"This is unlike a lot of mixed martial art strikers. There's a lot of good offensive strikers out there, but I think Brendan balances his defense extremely well while staying active. That's a rarity in MMA, generally speaking.

"His footwork sets him apart, certainly from Sheymon Moraes who is a dangerous striker but doesn't really possess the in-and-out footwork, and understanding of angles, like Brendan."

Florian tipped Movlid Khaibulaev as a dark horse in the competition because the Russian athlete has the benefit of being schooled by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the late father and trainer of recently-retired UFC king Khabib Nurmagomedov.

But it is Loughnane who Florian believes is a clear tournament favorite.

"Brendan can throw everything at you and, for me, it's really his fight to lose. He's good with knees, kicks - low level kicks, high level kicks, body - he knows how to attack the body with his hands. He knows how to mix it all up.

"And he's not a one-dimensional striker. That gives him the ability to go far in this tournament because he has a lot of tools, and he knows how to use them."

Loughnane and Moraes contest the very first match and open the PFL 1 show.

Sung Bin Jo, otherwise known as the Korean Falcon, fights Tyler Diamond on the preliminary card on ESPN+ ahead of a main card on ESPN that features Anthony Pettis against Clay Collard in the main event.