With retirement looming, PFL: Daytona's Caros Fodor rejuvenated and ready to go out on high note

With the fight he considers one of the most emotional he’s ever had to go through behind him, Caros Fodor sees a light at the end of the tunnel and wants to go out on a high note.

Fodor (11-5) returns to action tonight for the first time in 11 months when he meets Jason High (20-6) at PFL: Daytona, the debut event for the newly launched Professional Fighters League. The PFL is the newly rebranded promotion formerly known as WSOF. The card, which serves as one of a series of events that precede the promotion’s debut season in 2018, airs tonight on NBCSN from Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Fodor, a Strikeforce and UFC veteran, beat his adopted brother Ben Fodor in July 2016 at WSOF 32. The two had become heated rivals by that time – but now they’ve mended some fences.

“The fight with my brother, I’m glad that’s out of the way,” Fodor told MMAjunkie Radio. “It was probably one of the most emotional fights I’ve had. I’m glad that’s over with. We hated each other for the rest of the summer and didn’t speak at all. Then we made up on Christmas morning, actually, at my mother’s house. We’ve hung out once since the fight. But we made peace, and we’re all good.”

Fodor said some bonding took place during the holiday over breakfast and said both he and Ben wanted to patch things up.

“It was mutual. I was drunk, which helped me,” Fodor said. “… It was pretty awkward with a dead silence in the house. I made breakfast and handed him some eggs, and he was receptive to it. I love his son, my nephew, and we were exchanging gifts. It felt like the right time. It was pretty casual in the beginning, but the more alcohol consumed, the (more emotional) it got.”

Now that Fodor has that out of the way, and has signed a new contract with PFL, he’s got his eye on the future. Specifically, he’s looking at coming to the end of the line for his fighting career and believes that will come in less than two years.

But the good news is, Fodor says he’s back to enjoying the training process now – and will no doubt be curious to see how that plays out tonight against High in Florida.

“I’m just concentrating on Jason now,” Fodor said. “I don’t really care what the venue is; I just want to have a good night. I’ve been training hard with my mind set. I’m on my last couple fights. This will probably be my last contract. I wanted to retire at 35, and I’m 33 1/2. I’m just going to try to enjoy this whole experience.

“The sport was really tough for me a couple years ago, and it was tough to go through camps. But now I feel like I’m wrapping it up and I’m just enjoying the whole camp process. This has been one of the most enjoyable camps in a long time. I’d have to keep winning and the pay would have to go up a lot to keep going – I’d have to be the champion. We’ll see what happens in a year and a half. I’ve been competing for 13 years now, and I’m kind of beat up and looking forward to the future. I really want to go out on a high note.”

For more on “PFL: Daytona,” check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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