The Professional Fighters League hosted its biggest card to date on Saturday, with PFL Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact kicking off the league’s super fights era.
The card happened to feature the debut of lineal heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, a massive free agent signing for the PFL. Yet after inking a deal with the company over a year ago, Ngannou strayed from his MMA path. Instead, he moved to boxing, knocking down Tyson Fury in a split decision loss that he almost certainly should have won, then being knocked out by Anthony Joshua this past March.
Personal tragedy struck after that, with the death of young son Kobe. Ngannou found refuge in the gym, however, and has committed to his return at PFL Battle of the Giants and a few more years of fighting beyond that.
It will be Renan Ferreira welcoming “The Predator” back to the cage. Less high-profile, but a decent threat, the 2023 PFL heavyweight champ has notable wins over Ryan Bader (the Bellator heavyweight champ, during the PFL vs. Bellator Champions card earlier this year) and UFC alums Jared Vanderaa and Maurice Greene.
Ferreira has not faced the same caliber of competition as Ngannou, that much is clear. But with x-factors like Ngannou’s time away from the cage, and the Brazilian’s black belt, the fight is not the blowout on paper it might have been otherwise.
In the co-main event, Bellator women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg finally returns to action, going head-to-head with Larissa Pacheco, the two-time, two-division PFL champ at lightweight and featherweight. Also known as the first woman to defeat Kayla Harrison, Pacheco, a former UFC bantamweight, has her work cut out for her against the legendary Cyborg. Prior to those two “super fights” (with special belts on the line), Bellator middleweight champ Johnny Eblen entered a rematch with Fabian Edwards.
Where to Watch PFL Battle of the Giants
Saturday, October 19, 2024 sees the PFL at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact. The action gets underway at 1:30 PM ET on ESPN+ in the U.S., followed by the main card, which begins at 4 PM ET on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S. and DAZN PPV in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere. Full results from the event can be found below.
PFL Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact Results
Main Card
Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira by TKO, Round 1, 3:32 – for the PFL heavyweight superfights championship
Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) – for the PFL women’s featherweight superfights championship
Johnny Eblen (c) def Fabian Edwards by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – for the Bellator MMA middleweight championship
Zafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Paul Hughes def. A.J. McKee by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 3:01
Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail by submission (triangle), Round 2, 3:51
