After a long run with Bellator, Marcus Galvao won’t let a new opportunity with the PFL slip through his fingers.

“I’ll seize this chance,” Galvao (18-9-1) told MMAjunkie in advance of his meeting with Nazareno Malegarie (28-4), which takes place tonight at PFL 1. “No other organization is doing this. It’s amazing.”

Galvao, a former bantamweight champion in the Viacom-owned Bellator, is motivated to take home the $1 million offered to the winner of the upstart promotion’s bantamweight playoffs/tournament.

Tonight’s fight marks the first regular-season event for the PFL and the promotion’s official restart after its rebranding from the now-defunct WSOF.

Galvao, who’s moved up to the featherweight division, has the opportunity to win up to six points that go toward his seeding in the playoffs; a win earns him three points, and a first-round finish earns an additional three points.

“I don’t cut much weight now – only about 15 pounds,” he said. “I feel very strong. When I was fighting at 135 pounds, I could make the weight, but after the second round, I was too depleted. I suffered a lot to make 135. That’s why I decided to move up.”

PFL 1 takes place at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y. Galvao vs. Malegarie serves on the Facebook-streamed prelims in advance of main-card bouts on NBCSN.

“Nazareno is very experienced,” Galvao said. “He’s been in Bellator, the UFC, and in ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ house. He’s also fought in Japan.

“I respect him. We chatted after we were introduced. He’s very humble. But we’re both running after that million dollars. Whoever makes the least mistakes will be the winner. And I’m feeling very confident. My time has arrived.”

A jiu-jitsu teacher in New York City, Galvao will have home court advantage against Malegarie.

“Another plus is not having to stress about shedding weight and putting it back on, since I don’t have travel,” he said. “Here, I have everything I need. I’m very happy to be fighting here.”

He’ll be even happier if he can take home the biggest payday of his career at the end of the season.

For more on PFL 1, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.