2024 PFL Superfights PPV: Battle of the Giants press convention on the Mayadeen Theater in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
The Skilled Fighters League hosted its largest card to this point on Saturday, with PFL Battle of the Giants: Brace for Affect kicking off the league’s tremendous fights period.
The cardboard occurred to characteristic the debut of lineal heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, a large free agent signing for the PFL. But after inking a take care of the corporate over a 12 months in the past, Ngannou strayed from his MMA path. As a substitute, he moved to boxing, flattening Tyson Fury in a break up resolution loss that he nearly definitely ought to have gained, then being knocked out by Anthony Joshua this previous March.
Private tragedy struck after that, with the loss of life of younger son Kobe. Ngannou discovered refuge within the health club, nonetheless, and has dedicated to his return at PFL Battle of the Giants and some extra years of combating past that.
It will likely be Renan Ferreira welcoming “The Predator” again to the cage. Much less high-profile, however an honest menace, the 2023 PFL heavyweight champ has notable wins over Ryan Bader (the Bellator heavyweight champ, through the PFL vs. Bellator Champions card earlier this 12 months) and UFC alums Jared Vanderaa and Maurice Greene.
Ferreira has not confronted the identical caliber of competitors as Ngannou, that a lot is obvious. However with x-factors like Ngannou’s time away from the cage, and the Brazilian’s black belt, the struggle shouldn’t be the blowout on paper it may need been in any other case.
Within the co-main occasion, Bellator ladies’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg lastly returns to motion, going head-to-head with Larissa Pacheco, the two-time, two-division PFL champ at light-weight and featherweight. Also referred to as the primary girl to defeat Kayla Harrison, Pacheco, a former UFC bantamweight, has her work lower out for her in opposition to the legendary Cyborg. Previous to these two “super fights” (with particular belts on the road), Bellator middleweight champ Johnny Eblen entered a rematch with Fabian Edwards.
The place to Watch PFL Battle of the Giants
Saturday, October 19, 2024 sees the PFL on the Kingdom Area in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for Battle of the Giants: Brace for Affect. The motion will get underway at 1:30 PM ET on ESPN+ within the U.S., adopted by the principle card, which begins at 4 PM ET on ESPN+ PPV within the U.S. and DAZN PPV within the U.S., Canada and elsewhere. Full outcomes from the occasion will be discovered under.
PFL Battle of the Giants: Brace for Affect Outcomes
Major Card
Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira by TKO, Spherical 1, 3:32 – for the PFL heavyweight superfights championshipCris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco by unanimous resolution (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) – for the PFL ladies’s featherweight superfights championshipJohnny Eblen (c) def Fabian Edwards by unanimous resolution (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – for the Bellator MMA middleweight championshipZafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev by unanimous resolution (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Paul Hughes def. A.J. McKee by break up resolution (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno by submission (rear-naked choke), Spherical 3, 3:01Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders by unanimous resolution (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos by unanimous resolution (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail by submission (triangle), Spherical 2, 3:51
