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LAS VEGAS – For the second straight year, Ray Cooper III is headed to the PFL welterweight final.

After what he called a “slow start” in his night-opening draw Friday night against Sadibou Sy (8-5-2), Cooper (19-7-1) advanced to the second round via tiebreaker to face Magomed Magomedkerimov.

However, when his Russian opponent fell ill, Cooper squared off with replacement fighter Chris Curtis (21-7). At the start of the second round, Cooper blasted Curtis with a punch, knocking him out cold Friday night at PFl Playofs 1 from Mandalay Bay Events Center.

In a post-fight news conference following the conclusion of the event, Cooper broke down the two tournament fights.

“It was a good night of fights. I started off a little slow,” Cooper said. “I picked my shots a little bit more – size, a tall guy, as you can tell. His kicks were long, so I had to try to get inside and take him down. My second fight, I was really looking forward to fighting Magomed again – get that back. But I guess the strong only survive.

“Chris is a good fighter. I know he likes to stand and trade, but this is MMA. I had to mix them up. My coach was telling me to mix it up, so I mixed it up with the takedowns. I think that’s how I set up that overhand to catch him.”

Despite his disappointment in not being able to avenge a loss suffered to Magomedkerimov in last year’s finals, Cooper said he wasn’t effected by the last-second swap of opponents.

“I know how Magomed fights already, and I know how Chris fights,” Cooper said. “I was just ready to go no matter what. It doesn’t matter. Like in any major league sport, you can lose, and you can come back. Just like in the NFL. Just like the major league. Just like the Olympics.

“You’ve got to go through a tournament throughout the season. You lose, but on the big stage when it really matters, you’ve got to win. If you can’t do that, then you’re not going to make it to the finals.”

Since he joined the PFL, Cooper hasn’t kept his main motivation a secret. Coming from large and supportive Hawaiian family, Cooper doesn’t want to win the $1 million for himself. Instead, he wants to win it for them.

“It would mean everything for Hawaii, but it’s really about my family, training with my family, them being there,” Cooper said. “I don’t need a big team to train. Only need my bruddahs, my cousins, and my dad. That’s pretty much it. I go out there just to scrap. …

“Just for my family. Everything is for my family. Just to take care of my mom, my father for everything they’ve done for me, my wife and my kids. It’s all about family for me.”