Antonio Carlos Jr. is widely known for his grappling skills and considers jiu-jitsu his primary weapon in mixed martial arts. This remains true for his upcoming fight against Karl Moore in the opening round of the 2025 PFL light heavyweight grand prix in Orlando.
Known as “Shoeface,” Antonio Carlos Jr. has secured 12 submissions among his 16 MMA victories, with five occurring during his time in the UFC. He aims to make Moore submit, which would be only the second submission loss in Moore`s 16 professional bouts.
Junior described Moore as a very strategic and strong fighter who effectively uses these attributes to apply pressure against the cage. He commented that while Moore might not have standout individual abilities, his consistency in every area makes him dangerous. Junior stressed that there are no easy fights in a tournament format.
Despite this, Junior, who trains at American Top Team, stated he won`t necessarily rush the fight to the ground and intends to utilize his stand-up skills.
Junior elaborated on his strategy, stating he needs to move, find Moore`s weaknesses, and take the fight to the ground where his jiu-jitsu is his primary tool for securing a submission. However, he emphasized the importance of not being a one-dimensional fighter who forces grappling at all costs. He plans to move and strike, believing his stand-up, especially his distance management, is better than Moore`s, while remaining aware of the inherent danger in the light heavyweight division.
Historically, Paul Craig is the only fighter to have submitted Moore in MMA, using a guillotine choke at BAMMA 22 in 2015. Moore, an Irish light heavyweight, bounced back to win the Cage Warriors title two years later before joining Bellator in 2019. There, he won four consecutive fights to earn a title shot against Corey Anderson.
“Shoeface,” however, expressed confidence that his grappling ability is on a higher level.
Junior contended that Moore has not faced anyone with comparable jiu-jitsu skills, citing only Paul Craig from a long time ago, who submitted him. He also brought up Moore`s close bout with Alex Polizzi, Junior`s previous opponent, describing it as a fight that could have gone either way. While acknowledging Moore`s solid performance against Corey Anderson, good cardio, and forward movement, Junior maintained that he doesn`t see exceptional technical skills but rather a fighter who executes fundamental actions effectively. He concluded by stressing the importance of staying alert and preventing Moore from stalling the fight.
Should Junior win his fight on Thursday, he will advance to face the victor of the quarterfinal match between Karl Albrektsson and Simeon Powell. The other finalist vying for the $500,000 prize will be determined from the matchups involving Phil Davis, Rob Wilkinson, Marcelo Nunes, and Sullivan Cauley.
Junior expressed his eagerness to compete and take another step towards his goal of securing a second title by the end of the year. He finds the PFL`s tournament schedule beneficial because he doesn`t have significant weight cuts, suggesting this is more challenging for heavier fighters who must cut weight every couple of months. This aspect, he feels, makes things slightly easier for him, even though he is among the smaller athletes in the light heavyweight division.
