Back to Set the Standard

Antonio Carlos Jr. reached the Professional Fighters League pinnacle once before—he struck gold at 205 pounds in 2021—and has designs on doing so again.

The 35-year-old Brazilian will lock horns with Karl Moore when their light heavyweight quarterfinal helps anchor PFL 2025 World Tournament 4 on Thursday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Carlos Jr. carries a 16-6 record into his latest assignment, as he starts his hunt to become a two-time champion.

“We’re coming back to reclaim this belt,” he told Sherdog.com. “It’s been long enough. I’m hungry for victory, to be the champion and to feel that taste again.”

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the PFL World Tournament LIVE Thursday, May 1 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Carlos Jr. has rattled off five wins across his past six appearances, though a serious knee injury kept him on the sidelines for almost two full years. He last saw action at PFL 5, where he lost a three-round unanimous decision to Alex Polizzi on June 21. A decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Carlos Jr. has secured 12 of his 16 career victories by submission but has yet to score a knockout.

“We can’t force anything in fighting,” he said. “It’s very difficult to force something, especially when you’re fighting someone at a highly technical, tactical and physical level. You have to make things happen as your opponent presents you with opportunities. Of course, you have to open up that path. You can't hesitate. We have to be very attentive in this sport, to use these moments in our favor and have an advantage in the fight. Everything happens very quickly, and everyone in there is on a high level.”

Carlos Jr. once again spent his pre-fight camp at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he honed his skills alongside longtime friend and mentor Marcus Almeida. “He’s like a brother to me,” Carlos Jr. said. Bo Nickal, Marvin Vettori, Joshua Silveira, Krzysztof Jotko and Alessio Sakara also played significant roles in his pre-fight camp.

“We have a huge academy,” Carlos Jr. said, “and that’s very helpful in improving our game.”

Moore serves as his first hurdle. The SBG Ireland rep has won four of his past five bouts, a five-round decision loss to Corey Anderson at Bellator Champions Series 1 in March 2024. Moore has four first-round finishes to his credit. Only Mauro Cerilli and Paul Craig have stopped him inside the distance.

“He seems to be physically strong,” Carlos Jr. said. “He doesn’t have many qualities, but what he does, he does very well. He’s strong and looks to tie up his opponents. He’s a southpaw and likes to throw jabs [and] crosses and kicks with the rear leg. He looks to push his opponents against the cage, putting on pressure to wear them out. He also has some jiu-jitsu, but I believe he won’t try that with me. He’ll want to push me against the cage since he appears to be physically strong. It will be a high-level fight.”