Conor McGregor | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Conor McGregor has 500,000 reasons to pick against Francis Ngannou.
“The Notorious” boasted on social media that he has placed half-a-million on Renan Ferreira to to defeat Ngannou by knockout in Saturday’s PFL Battle of the Giants main event. The bout marks Ngannou’s first MMA fight since a successful defense of the heavyweight title at UFC 270 in January 2022.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 19, 2024
Ngannou has never been finished by strikes under MMA rules, but he was knocked out in brutal fashion by Anthony Joshua in a boxing match this past March. The loss dropped Ngannou to 0-2 as a boxer, with one of those setbacks being a narrow split call against Tyson Fury.
According to McGregor’s post, should Ferreira beat the odds, the bet will pay out $ 1,675,000. Ferreira has scored 11 of his 13 pro victories by KO/TKO, including a recent win over Ryan Bader and three wins in 2023 that earned him a PFL heavyweight tournament crown and a $ 1 million prize.
McGregor has made a habit of sharing large wagers in partnership with betting website Duelbits. This past July, the UFC star cashed in on another $ 500,000 wager when he successfully predicted that old foe Nate Diaz would defeat Jorge Masvidal in a boxing match.
Updated: After the loss, McGregor tweeted – then deleted – the following.
Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards face off ahead of PFL Battle of the Giants
This is the PFL Battle of the Giants live blog for Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards 2, the middleweight title fight this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Eblen—currently ranked No. 5 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings—is 15-0 in his MMA career. After winning the Bellator middleweight title from Gegard Mousasi in 2022, Eblen has since defended his title twice, including a win over Edwards just 13 months ago. Most recently, Eblen eked out a win over PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay for the PFL Champion vs. Champion title back in February.
The brother of former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, Fabian has not had quite the same level of success as “Rocky.” Recently though, the 31-year-old fighter has looked much improved, stringing together three wins to earn his shot at Eblen’s middleweight belt last year. In that fight, Edwards started strong but faded in the third round, but after a bounce back win in March, the Englishman hopes to finish what he started last year.
Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira | Matt Ferris, PFL
Renan Ferreira and Francis Ngannou are two of the most ferocious knockout artists in the heavyweight division today, but they know MMA isn’t only about face punching.
The former PFL and UFC champions will headline Saturday’s PFL Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia for the Superfight championship, and the Brazilian admits he won’t stay in the pocket and trade with Ngannou wildly if he sees a different path for victory once they are inside the cage.
“The important thing for us is the win,” Ferreira said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “It’s a big show and a big event, of course, a big promotion, but this is my career and my fight, and I’m going after a victory. I’ll do whatever it takes to come out with the win, and I know he’ll do the same thing. I’ll always go for the win wherever the fight goes, always bringing my best, where I feel the most comfortable at.”
Ngannou has also shown a different side of his fighting abilities in the past, wrestling his way to the victory on his final UFC appearance in January of 2022 to defeat Cyril Gane via unanimous decision.
“He was smart,” Ferreira said of Ngannou’s strategy at UFC 270. “MMA is about that, the mix. MMA isn’t just striking and knockouts, it’s everything. As long as you don’t use illegal blows, everything goes.”
Ferreira knows that knocking out a man like Ngannou would boost his name in the history books. Yet, winning is all that matters when it’s all said and done.
“We fight a fight a million times inside our heads, every shape and form of it, so it’s easier when we’re in there, but this is a five-round fight,” Ferreira said. “I’m being cautious there. Francis hits hard and walks forward, and he’s very strong, so I’ll use my movement and quick strikes, always hunting for the opportunity to land my jabs and go for the knockout. But, sure, the fight can go to the fence, go to the ground. I’ve trained all aspects of it so I’m not surprised by anything.”
“This is the biggest fight of my life,” he continued. “Everybody’s waiting for this moment. Two guys who have done a lot for their legacies and have done great fights and delivered great results. This is a wonderful moment for my life. I’m happy, well-prepared, and ready for war.”
Ferreira joined the PFL in May of 2021 and knocked out ex-UFC champion Fabricio Werdum in a bout that was later overturned to a no contest because Ferreira allegedly tapped to a triangle choke moments before the finish. His career has had ups and downs for two years before a major twist in 2023, winning the PFL heavyweight championship.
Ferreira battled Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader for the ticket to face Ngannou next, and obliterated the UFC and Bellator veteran in just 21 seconds. “The Predator” was sitting cageside in Saudi Arabia that night in February, and “Problema” fells he had the MMA star in shock.
“After that knockout, he was looking like, ‘I really have a problem in front of me, a tough man to face,’” Ferreira said. “I’m super well-prepared to welcome him [to PFL] and put on a show for the fans. I’m happy with this opportunity and this gigantic moment, an event built for us. This is a historic moment.”
With UFC 308 happening in Abu Dhabi, regular UFC color commentator Joe Rogan is skipping the card because he doesn’t travel to international events.
In his place steps retired UFC lightweight Paul Felder, who calls the action for the stacked card featuring a highly anticipated featherweight title fight at the top as Ilia Topuria defends his belt for the first time against former champion Max Holloway.
Joining Felder on the broadcast team are Jon Anik handling play-by-play duties and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier in his usual spot calling the pay-per-view.
Veteran UFC commentator John Gooden is set to serve as the in-house reporter handling backstage interviews and segments during the broadcast.
UFC officials confirmed the broadcast team to MMA Fighting on Saturday.
UFC 308 also features a pair of fights that could have title implications attached as former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker faces Khamzat Chimaev. The winner most likely moves onto compete for the title with reigning middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis currently expected to face Sean Strickland in his next outing.
Meanwhile at light heavyweight, Magomed Ankalaev looks to keep his 12-fight unbeaten streak intact when he faces Aleksandar Rakic on the main card. If Ankalaev wins, he’s likely going to move onto face UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira sometime in 2025.
UFC 308 goes down from Abu Dhabi with the main card kicking off on pay-per-view at a special start time of 2 p.m. ET with the prelims set to begin at 10 a.m. ET.
MMA Fighting has a live stream watch party for Saturday’s PFL: Ngannou vs. Ferreira pay-per-view fight card in Saudi Arabia. In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou makes his promotional debut against Renan Ferreira for the PFL Superfight heavyweight title.
Join MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew to watch the main card live as it happens.
In the co-main event, Bellator champion Cris Cyborg faces two-time PFL $ 1 million champion Larissa Pacheco for the PFL Superfight women’s featherweight title.
PFL: Ngannou vs. Ferreira also includes a Bellator middleweight championship rematch between Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards, along with an intriguing matchup between former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee and surging lightweight contender Paul Hughes.
The pay-per-view main card will also feature a featherweight tilt between Husein Kadimagomaev and Zafar Mohsen.
Watch the PFL: Ngannou vs. Ferreira live watch party on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.
Michel Pereira and Anthony Hernandez might not be the first names that come to mind when you think “future title challenger,” but that’s exactly what the UFC Vegas 99 main event winner could be after Saturday.
“Demolidor”—currently holding on to the No. 15 spot at 185 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings—has evolved into a legitimate contender after beginning his UFC career as an oddity. Following a run at welterweight that was foiled more by the scale than his opposition, Pereira made the shrewd decision to move to middleweight where he’s racked up three straight finishes. He faces his toughest challenge in the division yet, though, with Hernandez having won five straight fights.
Since a disappointing knockout loss to Kevin Holland, Hernandez has racked up a series of strong performances, including a stunning submission of grappling ace Rodolfo Vieira, and a streak-busting win over Roman Kopylov in his most recent appearance. “Fluffy” has been saying all the right things about wanting to take on a champion someday and he’s working his way to that opportunity one win at a time.
Not only is Pereira vs. Hernandez unlikely to disappoint from an action standpoint, but we’ll also find out how close either man is to joining the middleweight elite.
In other main card action, Rob Font looks to snap a skid and the three-fight win streak of Kyler Phillips, Charles Johnson is out to prove he’s a player at 125 pounds as he fights Sumudaerji, Jake Hadley takes on short-notice replacement Cameron Smotherman, and Darren Elkins meets Daniel Pineda in a battle of featherweight veterans.
What: UFC Vegas 99
Where: UFC APEX in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, Oct. 19. The six-fight preliminary card begins at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by a five-fight main card at 7 p.m. ET also on ESPN+.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings)
Michel Pereira (15) vs. Anthony Hernandez
Michel Pereira’s plans for world domination are going swimmingly.
First, he dialed back his one-of-a-kind fighting style, going from full-on jazz odyssey every time he went out there to a more technical and, yes, winning approach.
Second, he saved himself an extra 15 pounds of weight cutting by moving to middleweight, which is where he belongs at this stage of his career. Dude is massive.
Third, and most importantly, bring back some of the craziness while still adhering to the more mature tactics that have put you on a career-best eight-fight win streak.
It’s almost too simple.
Anthony Hernandez has the style needed to ruin Pereira’s unlikely championship charge, with a deep reserve of wrestling and grappling techniques in his arsenal. He knows he has to take Pereira down to win, it’s just a matter of executing. We have seen Pereira fall prey to a wrestling-heavy attack before, but that was a bizarre fight against Tristan Connelly in which we clearly didn’t get the best version of “Demolidor,” so I wouldn’t use that as a strong point of comparison.
If Hernandez can take this fight to the championship rounds, Pereira’s cardio might not be up to snuff, so that’s another factor to consider. But I like Pereira’s chances of keeping the fight standing and scoring a knockout before Round 4.
Pick: Pereira
Rob Font (14) vs. Kyler Phillips
Saturday’s main event isn’t the only fight with title contender implications.
Kyler Phillips has been a sleeper at 135 pounds for some time now, his rise to the top only hindered by inactivity and a narrow decision loss. Otherwise, Phillips just needs more quality wins to continue building his résumé. Pedro Munhoz and Song Yadong were good ones, and Rob Font could be the most important victory yet.
That’s not to say Font is a walk-over for Phillips. If Font is a gatekeeper, he’s one of the best, as evidenced by his having gone five rounds with names like Jose Aldo, Cory Sandhagen, and Marlon Vera. All losses, but all fights in which Font’s opponent had to work hard to get by.
The same will be true of Phillips, who has to put forth a career-best effort to avoid losing momentum. Both of these fighters are outstanding technical strikers, with Phillips having the slight edge in activity, speed, and agility. He can’t let up for a second, because all it takes is a couple of mistakes for Font to steal rounds and cause Phillips’ night to end in disappointment.
Phillips keeps it together and wins a decision.
Pick: Phillips
Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji
Charles Johnson has shown some great hands during this unexpected three-fight win streak, but it’s his versatility that could be the difference against Sumudaerji. “The Tibetan Eagle” has proven susceptible to submissions throughout his career and if Johnson wants to make it four in a row, he should be sure to include takedowns in his game plan.
Sumudaerji is a threat on the feet and if he hurts Johnson early, it could be a long—or even worse, short—night for “InnerG.” The length of Sumudaerji is one of his strengths and if he controls distance, he’ll work his way to a decision win.
But his defensive shortcomings are too significant to ignore, so I’m actually picking Johnson to catch him on the feet sometime after the opening five minutes. From there, Johnson will find an opening to grapple, either wrestling Sumudaerji down or scrambling to take his back. A choke and a tap are soon to follow.
Pick: Johnson
Jake Hadley vs. Cameron Smotherman
If you’ve never seen Cameron Smotherman fight before, the strategy to foil him is pretty clear so far: Take this dude down.
That’s not to say that Smotherman isn’t capable on the ground—in fact, he’s difficult to attack even if put on his back—but you’re much better off wrestling with him there than trading shots on the feet. “The Baby-Faced Killer” is a speedy and accurate striker, always looking for an opening and a threat to finish for all 15 minutes. He could have Jake Hadley on skates early if Hadley isn’t careful.
Fortunately for Hadley, he’s got good hands, too, and Smotherman isn’t always the most defensively responsible fighter. Add in Hadley’s potential to take Smotherman down and he has a clear path to victory so long as he doesn’t freelance too much on the feet.
I have Hadley winning a decision after a tense three rounds, but Smotherman is an exciting addition to the roster and I look forward to his next fight when he has a full training camp.
Pick: Hadley
Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda
Combined, Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda have 41 UFC appearances and 86 pro bouts overall. To put it lightly, they’ve been through it.
It was only a matter of time until these two faced off and the only complaint one can have is that it’s taking place at the APEX as opposed to being witnessed live by thousands of appreciative fans. It’s just weird to think about how Elkins and Pineda clawed their way up from fighting in local bars to competing at packed venues and now back to an empty building.
Sigh.
None of that matters once the cage door shuts and these fighters rush headfirst into a scrap. How does one even begin to break this one down? It’s not as if Elkins and Pineda are devoid of technique, it’s just that they’re quick to throw it out the window once the poop hits the fan. And it definitely will.
I see the grappling game being dead even here, so they’re going to have to slug it out, and in that scenario I favor “The Damage.” He might not put Pineda down for the count, but he’ll do enough to win a decision in a bout that will likely see both warriors bloody and battered by the end.
Francis Ngannou’s return to mixed martial arts is here.
After leaving the UFC, vacating the promotion’s heavyweight title, signing with the PFL, having two pro boxing matches against two of the biggest names in the sweet science, Ngannou faces knockout artist Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL’s Battle of the Giants on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
It’s no secret that Ngannou is dealing with a lot heading into this one, and while both fighters seemed respectful and Bull Durham-like in the build, things got heated up in the final faceoff — giving this fight an extra (and, frankly, well-needed) boost.
In the co-main event, Cris Cyborg battles Larissa Pacheco, while Johnny Eblen battles Fabian Edwards in a rematch. The other big main card highlight is a lightweight tilt between former Bellator champ A.J. McKee and Paul Hughes.
What: PFL Super Fights PPV: Battle of the Giants
Where: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
When: Saturday, Oct. 19. The four-fight preliminary card begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S. and internationally on DAZN, followed by a five-fight main card at 4 p.m. ET also on ESPN+ in the U.S. and internationally on DAZN.
Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
Francis Ngannou should win this fight, and I think he will, but there’s a reason a lot of people believe Renan Ferreira is a darling dog.
Momentum in combat sports is huge, and if we’re looking at this through a down-the-middle lens, Ferreira has it after obliterating Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader in seconds at PFL vs. Bellator. Ngannou has a lot of pressure heading into this fight, with the lineal heavyweight champ talk, the layoff, the two-fight trip into boxing, the PFL’s investment in him, not to mention what this fight means to him on a personal level.
Could the monster Ferreria find Ngannou’s chin with a big shot? Very, very possible. But when it comes to MMA, Ngannou is a sponge when it comes to game plans and execution. I actually see Ngannou getting a takedown or two in this fight, and eventually, landing some big shots on the floor in Round 2 to have a feel-good moment.
Question is: Does he return to the boxing ring after?
Pick: Francis Ngannou
Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco
This is a tremendous matchup on paper, but the road to it has been a weird one, hasn’t it?
It doesn’t seem like the transition from Bellator to PFLator for Cyborg has been all that pleasant if you’ve been following her on social media since the merger. She’s also only had two fights in MMA since April 2022, including a rematch with Arlene Blencowe that nobody asked for, and a straight destruction of Cat Zingano. But for the first time since she faced Amanda Nunes, Cyborg finds herself in a fight that seems it could go either way.
Pacheco has been outstanding — winning 10 fights in a row, a couple of $ 1 million checks, and is the only fighter on the planet to beat Kayla Harrison. While that’s a spectacular win on her résumé, I still don’t truly know how good Pacheco is, and while Cyborg doesn’t have her fastball anymore, she’s still a pretty damn good fist-fighter.
I’m not confident, most notably because Cyborg doesn’t seem all that thrilled to be a part of this fight week through my curious lens, but since I view this as a 50-50 fight, I’m leaning towards experience and accomplishment. Cyborg by decision is the pick and, what I predict, will be the first of multiple fights between the two.
Pick: Cris Cyborg
Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards
In my opinion, this is a pivotal moment for Johnny Eblen, and you can make a real case that he has the most to prove on this entire card.
I know, it’s weird to say that about a guy who is undefeated, but there was a moment or two not that long ago where a lot of pundits claimed Eblen was the best middleweight in the world. While Eblen did finish Edwards in their first meeting, he had to work a lot harder than most expected to do so. Many believed it was not his best night in the office, and then he had the fight with Impa Kasanganay, who gave Eblen a run for his money at PFL vs. Bellator.
Now, we’re running this one back, and frankly, this fight is happening for one reason — Eblen just has nobody else to dance with. Edwards is a fine fighter and has some good wins, but in most cases, he would’ve needed another win, probably two, after beating Aaron Jeffrey in a fight nobody will go back and re-watch.
To me, a win is not enough for Eblen. He needs to look like he’s in a showcase fight, and he has the opportunity to do exactly that. The pick is Eblen via third-round stoppage in a fight that isn’t as close as the original.
Pick: Johnny Eblen
A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes
Kudos to both of these guys for building interest for this fight from Jump Street. I can’t wait for it, honestly.
A.J. McKee has always been a damn good fighter, but now that he’s at lightweight, he’s also fun as hell, and that makes him even more dangerous. Hughes is a 27-year-old stud that has an extremely bright future. The scary thing about the longtime Cage Warriors star is that he’s nowhere near a finished product. He’s two to three years away from his athletic prime. Unfortunately, he’s facing a guy in McKee who is in that prime, and has been in there with way better competition.
I think this fight delivers the goods, and if Hughes wins, he can put himself in a position to be one of the top headlines of the weekend in MMA. The pick is to have our cake and eat it too — McKee wins a decision, and Hughes proves he belongs in defeat.
Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira clash in the UFC Vegas 99 main event Saturday | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
MMA Fighting has UFC Vegas 99 results for the Hernandez vs. Pereira fight card, a live blog of the main event, and more from UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
In the main event, surging middleweights Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira square off. Hernandez has won five straight fights, while Pereira has reeled off eight straight wins.
Rob Font and Kyler Phillips compete in a bantamweight contest in the co-main event. Font has lost four of his past five fights, while Phillips has won three straight.
Tom Aspinall | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Tom Aspinall has a lot of respect for Francis Ngannou.
This Saturday, Ngannou makes his long-awaited return to MMA when he faces Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants. It will be Ngannou’s first MMA fight since 2022 when he successfully defended the UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane in his final fight with the promotion. Since then, Aspinall has made quite the impression on the UFC’s heavyweight division, winning the interim heavyweight belt and then defending his interim title back in July.
Currently, Aspinall hopes to finally have a title unification bout with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones after Jones defends his belt against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November, but with Ngannou’s return to the sport, fans are now also interested in how a hypothetical fight between he and Aspinall might look. And addressing that question on his YouTube channel recently, Aspinall believes it’s close.
“That’s a good fight! That’s a great fight,” Aspinall said. “I’ve always been a big fan of Francis. I love his story, love what he’s all about. I think it’s a 50/50 fight, to be honest. Francis is a scary man. But I think technically I would take the edge. But I think that’s a great fight.”
Of course it’s exceedingly unlikely Aspinall and Ngannou will ever meet in the cage as the UFC almost never agrees to co-promote fights. However, there is a different superfight Aspinall might be able to get if Ngannou or a unified heavyweight title fight doesn’t manifest: light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
“Poatan” has been teasing a move up to heavyweight this year and if he finally does decided to make the jump, Aspinall is more than happy to welcome him in a champ vs. champ fight.
“I like the idea of that,” Aspinall said. “It’s up to Alex. He’s doing massive things at light heavyweight, he’s obviously done massive things at middleweight as well. So that’s completely up to him. If he wants to come and test the waters at heavyweight, sign me up. I’m up for it.”
Whether or not that will happen is still up in the air, but for the time being, Aspinall is simply waiting. The interim champion is set to serve as the backup fighter for the Jones vs. Miocic fight at UFC 309 next month and revealed that plans are already in motion for what comes next if his services are not needed then.
“I’m just training to be the backup fighter right now,” Aspinall said. “I’m getting myself fight. Do I think it’s going to happen? Probably not. But I’ll be ready for it if it does. And we just spoke to the UFC, we’ve got some plans in place. I can’t reveal them right now because they’re top secret but there is big news coming soon.”
Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreia will clash in the PFL Battle of the Giants main event. | PFL
MMA Fighting has PFL Battle of the Giants results for the Ngannou vs. Ferreira fight card, live blogs of the top three fights, and more from The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday afternoon.
In the main event, former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira will sqaure off the PFL Superfight heavyweight championship. Ngannou will make his PFL debut at the event after he suffered two losses in a row in boxing.
Larissa Pacheco and Cris Cyborg will compete for the PFL Superfight bantamweight championship in the co-main event.
Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen will defend his title against Fabian Edwards also on the main card.
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