Skilled Fighters League (PFL) staged the large “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view (PPV) occasion yesterday (Sat., Oct. 19, 2024) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on ESPN+, which noticed Francis Ngannou make a profitable return to blended martial arts (MMA) with a first-round destruction of Renan Ferreira (see it once more right here). Within the co-main occasion, Cris Cyborg picked up one other world title by defeating a sturdy Larissa Pacheco for the ladies’s Tremendous Combat Featherweight title (highlights right here).
PFL
Winner: Francis Ngannou
Who He Ought to Face Subsequent: Denis Goltsov vs. Oleg Popov winner
PFL will return to Riyadh on Nov. 29 for its annual world championships the place the promotion will crown six champions and dish out six separate $1 million checks. A kind of title fights will crown a brand new heavyweight champion as Denis Goltsov will face Oleg Popov within the finals. The winner will greater than seemingly be “The Predator’s” subsequent problem someday in 2025, assuming Ngannou doesn’t pursue one other boxing match. In fact, we’d all prefer to see an eventual showdown between he and Jon Jones, however that can seemingly by no means occur.
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PFL
Winner: Cris Cyborg
Who She Ought to Face Subsequent: Sara Collins
Now that Cyborg has entered an unique membership by successful her fifth world title for a fifth totally different promotion, she has choices. She has already defeated PFL’s 145-pound champion in Pacheco, so she might very properly flip her consideration to defending her Bellator strap in 2025. And that opponent will seemingly come in opposition to Collins, who pulled off an enormous win by defeating Leah McCourt — who was in line for a title combat — at Bellator London final month. Collins — who’s 6-0, 3-0 Bellator — admitted that she was a “little scared” of Cyborg, which isn’t a great signal. Nonetheless, Collins can study lots from Pacheco’s efficiency as a result of if you happen to punch the bully within the mouth, she is going to again down. And, let’s be trustworthy, Cyborg isn’t precisely within the prime of her profession so that is going to be the perfect time for Collins to even have the slightest probability of an upset.
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PFL
Winner: Johnny Eblen
Who He Ought to Face Subsequent: Wait and see…
Eblen saved his undefeated file intact, enhancing to 16-0 by defeating Fabian Edwards for the second time. Whereas it was for the Bellator belt, it was underneath the PFL banner. So far as what might realistically be subsequent for “Strain,” that could be a bit robust to lock down as a result of nobody is actually standing out in the intervening time. A showdown in opposition to Jordan Newman appears to be in inevitable since is undefeated at 7-0 with all of his wins coming contained in the Bellator cage. However he has but to face a real, ranked foe or long-term member of the Bellator roster. Aaron Jeffery, Dalton Rosta and Costello van Steenis are on the market, however neither is on a consecutive win streak in the intervening time. Newman has been with the promotion for 5 years, so now may appear pretty much as good a time as any to offer him his shot, and he would greater than give Eblen a run for his cash within the wrestling division as a former NCAA division III champion. All Eblen can do now could be sit again to see what’s what.
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PFL
Winner: Paul Hughes
Who He Ought to Face Subsequent: Usman Nurmagomedov
After pulling off an enormous upset win over former Bellator MMA Featherweight champion, A.J. McKee, Hughes bought on the mic and shot his shot, calling for a title combat in opposition to Light-weight champion, Usman Nurmagomedov. And at this level, there actually is not any level in denying him the bout. Had McKee gained the combat, he would have seemingly gotten the title shot subsequent, so “Huge Information” needs to be afforded the identical alternative. Nurmagomedov not too long ago defended his strap in opposition to Alexandr Shabliy, so he could be primed for a return someday in early 2025 since there are not any extra Bellator occasion scheduled for the yr.
To checkout the newest and best information and notes for “Ngannou vs. Ferreira” you should definitely hit up our complete occasion archive proper right here. For the up to date and finalized “Battle of the Giants” combat card and PPV lineup click on right here.