PFL: Battle of the Giants ceremonial weigh-ins are complete, and the fighters came face to face one final time before Saturday’s event.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – PFL: Battle of the Giants ceremonial weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face to face one final time before Saturday’s event.
The event, headlined by [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag], takes place at The Mayadeen and airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN following prelims simulcasted on MMA Junkie. Along with Ngannou vs. Ferreira, two other title fights are on the bill – [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag].
Check out the video above to see the athletes from all nine matchups get one final look at each other.
What to expect from Francis Ngannou in his MMA return? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”
[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] is back where he belongs.
The former UFC heavyweight champion finally returns to MMA after almost over two and a half years away from the sport. Ngannou takes on PFL champion [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants this Saturday in Saudi Arabia, and plenty has happened (and not happened) in the heavyweight landscape.
Is Ngannou still considered the best heavyweight in MMA today? What can we expect from his return? Does Ferreira have a solid chance at pulling off the upset?
MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells, Danny Segura, and host Gorgeous George discuss Ngannou’s return at PFL: Battle of the Giants, along with other key bouts on the card, including [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag].
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the PFL: Battle of the Giants pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia.
Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] returns to MMA this week for the first time in nearly three years.
Here’s how to watch the PFL: Battle of the Giants pay-per-view with lineups, fight info and much more.
Broadcast and streaming info
PFL 6 Ceremonial weigh-ins at the Overtime Elite arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Matt Ferris / PFL).
The PFL: Battle of the Giants event takes place Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The prelims stream on ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m. ET. The main card airs on pay-per-view (ESPN+, DAZN) at 4 p.m. ET and features three title fights at the top of the lineup.
ESPN reporter [autotag]Brett Okamoto[/autotag] and [autotag]Alsharefa Haifa[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the PFL: Battle of the Giants card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.
[autotag]Sean O’Connell[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at PFL: Battle of the Giants.
He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion and UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Randy Couture[/autotag], as well as former UFC welterweight title challenger [autotag]Dan Hardy[/autotag].
(Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)
Heavyweight superfight: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants Press Conference at the The Anthem in Washington D.C., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
Francis Ngannou (17-3) is back in MMA for the first time since a decision win over Ciryl Gane in January 2022 at UFC 270, which marked his final UFC title fight. His contract expired after that and he eventually vacated the belt to leave the promotion for greener pastures in the PFL. He boxed Tyson Fury a year ago in Saudi Arabia for his debut in that sport and impressed with a split decision loss, but was knocked out by Anthony Joshua when he attempted a boxing follow-up in March.
[autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (12-3) won PFL’s 2023 $1 million heavyweight season with a second-round knockout of Denis Goltsov this past November. He’s always a threat with his hands with 11 of his 13 wins by KO, and that was his way to a quick and easy win over Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader in February. The Brazilian took out Bader in just 21 seconds.
Women’s featherweight superfight: Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco
Larissa Pacheco, Cris Cyborg
[autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (27-2) and her Bellator title take on [autotag]Larissa Pacheco [/autotag] (23-4), the reigning PFL women’s featherweight winner, in a battle of Brazilians. After 15 years of being a massive favorite against nearly everyone she faced, Cyborg is a slight underdog to Pacheco, who upset Kayla Harrison to win the 2022 PFL women’s lightweight season, then won the featherweight season in 2023. Cyborg has seven straight wins since her upset loss to Amanda Nunes nearly six years ago, including a first-round knockout of Cat Zingano at Bellator 300 a year ago.
Bellator middleweight title: Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards
Johnny Eblen def. Fabian Edwards, Bellator 299
Bellator middleweight champ Johnny Eblen (15-0) will put his title on the line against Fabian Edwards (13-3) in a rematch only 13 months after their first meeting. Eblen knocked out Edwards in thee third round of their first in Dublin at Bellator 299. Since then, Edwards beat Aaron Jeffery by decision in March in a title eliminator to get another shot. Eblen beat PFL champ Impa Kasanganay in a crossover fight in February to stay unbeaten.
Other key matchups
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 24: AJ McKee celebrates after fighting Clay Collard during the 2024 PFL vs Bellator: Champs event at Kingdom Arena on February 24, 2024 in Riyadh. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** AJ McKee
Former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee (22-1) will try to stay on track at lightweight when he takes on Paul Hughes (12-1) to open the main card. McKee is 4-0 since he moved to 155 pounds, and after three straight decisions got a 70-second armbar submission of Clay Collard in Saudi Arabia in February. Former Cage Warriors featherweight champ Hughes has six straight wins, including three straight by knockout.
Ex-Bellator bantamweight champ Raufeon Stots (20-2) returns to take on Marcos Breno (15-3) on the prelims. After he lost the 135-pound title to Patchy Mix in April 2023, Stots rebounded 11 months ago with a second win over rival Danny Sabatello. Breno’s most recent fight came against Sabatello, as well – but it was a second-round submission loss at Bellator 294, which snapped a modest three-fight winning streak.
Full fight card
MAIN CARD (DAZN pay-per-view, 4 p.m. ET)
Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira – for heavyweight superfight title
Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco – for women’s featherweight superfight title
Champ Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards – for Bellator middleweight title
Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco have made weight for a historically significant women’s title fight at Saturday’s PFL PPV.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – One of the most significant women’s MMA fights in recent history is official after [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] and [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] made weight Friday for PFL: Battle of the Giants.
Former UFC, Strikeforce, Invicta FC and current Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cyborg (27-2) will attempt to add another belt to her mantle when she takes on 2022 PFL women’s lightweight champion and 2023 women’s featherweight champion Pacheco (23-4) for the women’s featherweight super fight belt.
The pair did their jobs to make on the scale at the host hotel, with Cyborg weighing in at 144.5 pounds, while Pacheco registered at 144.1.
Now the stage is set for Cyborg and Pacheco to share the cage in Saturday’s co-headliner at The Mayadeen, which airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN following prelims simulcast on MMA Junkie.
Check out these photos from the PFL: Battle of the Giants pre-fight press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Check out these photos from the PFL: Battle of the Giants pre-fight press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which featured headliners [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag], co-headliners [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] and [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], and more from the main card. (Photos courtesy of PFL)
Dec 26, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Jeremiah Ledbetter (95) celebrates after sacking Detroit Lions quarterback Chase Daniel (4) during the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
The build to PFL: Battle of the Giants is getting stronger after the two superfight title bouts faced off at Thursday’s press conference.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The build to PFL: Battle of the Giants is getting stronger after seeing the two superfight title bouts face off at Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.
The inaugural heavyweight title contest of [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] (17-3) vs. [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (13-3) and women’s featherweight championship matchup of [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (27-2) vs. [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (13-3) had staredowns after answering questions from media members, and now weigh-ins are the remaining obstacle before fight night.
Bellator middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (15-0) also squared off with challenger [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (13-3) for their main card title rematch, and ex-Bellator champ [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (22-1) faced off with lightweight opponent [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] (12-1).
Check out the press conference staredowns for Saturday’s event, which takes place at The Mayadeen and airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN following prelims simulcasted on MMA Junkie.
The final press conference for PFL: Battle of the Giants takes place Thursday with Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira among those to attend.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The PFL: Battle of the Giants pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event in the video above.
The press conference takes place ahead of Saturday’s fight card, which airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN.
PFL: Battle of the Giants is built around two inaugural superfight title bouts. [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] (17-3) vs. [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (13-3) at heavyweight, and [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (27-2) vs. [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (13-3) at women’s featherweight.
Here’s what you need to know about the PFL: Battle of the Giants press conference.
What time does the PFL: Battle of the Giants press conference start?
The PFL: Battle of the Giants press conference starts at 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT, which is 2 p.m. local time in Riyadh.
Who’s taking part in the PFL: Battle of the Giants press conference?
The four fighters scheduled for the superfight title bouts are slated to participate in the PFL: Battle of the Giant press conference: Ngannou, Ferreira, Cyborg and Pacheco.
PFL: Battle of the Giants headliners Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira, along with others, got their first up-close look at each other Wednesday.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The first faceoffs of PFL: Battle of the Giants fight week are in the books, and MMA Junkie was on the scene to capture them.
In the main event, former UFC champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] (17-3) takes on 2023 PFL champion [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (13-3) in a heavyweight clash. And in the co-main event, Bellator women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (27-2-1) meets two-time PFL champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (23-4). The promotion’s first super fights title belts are at stake in both fights.
Still three days before they meet in the cage, all four fighters got a chance to size each other up Wednesday at a promotional appearance. So, too, did Bellator middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] and [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] ahead of their rematch, as well as former Bellator champ [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag].
You can watch all four main card faceoffs in the video above.
PFL: Battle of the Giants takes place Saturday at The Mayadeen. The main card streams on DAZN and ESPN+ pay-per-view.
On “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses Francis Ngannou’s MMA return and PFL debut, UFC 310 bookings and much more.
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.
This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:
UFC Fight Night 244 saw the end of flyweight prospect Tatsuro Taira’s undefeated record. Recent title challenger Brandon Royval picked up his second win since he lost to champ Alexandre Pantoja this past December when he outpointed Taira in a hard-fought split decision. Does Royval deserve the next title shot? Where does Taira go from here? We discuss.
UFC CEO Dana White announced the headlining bouts for the promotion’s final pay-per-view of the year. A welterweight matchup between champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] and challenger [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] headlines the event, with a flyweight championship fight between [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] and [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] in the co-main. We review these UFC 310 headlining bouts along with the overall strength of the card.
[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] had a digital faceoff this past week ahead of their featherweight championship bout in the main event of UFC 308. The dual interview, organized by the UFC, had plenty of highlights and tense moments. We discuss some of the comments made by Topuria and Holloway, along with the news that [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] will serve as the backup for the fight.
Saturday, the PFL will put on arguably its biggest event yet – PFL: Battle of the Giants. The pay-per-view card features the highly anticipated return of former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], who takes on [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the main event. Additionally, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] makes her PFL debut against [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] returns to action against [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag], and much more. We preview the card.
PFL will crown its first superfight champions on Saturday, and the design for the new belts have arrived.
PFL will crown its first superfight champions on Saturday at PFL: Battle of the Giants, and the design for the new belts have arrived.
The upcoming event at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN, featured a doubleheader of former UFC champ [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] and former UFC/Bellator champ [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] clashing with two-time PFL season winner [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag].
The contests will crown the inaugural heavyweight and women’s featherweight superfight champions. Each belt will weigh 12.5 pounds, have a tribute to the PFL smart cage and celebrate each respective division in the series, according to the promo video released by PFL on Monday.
Check out the video above to see a close-up look at the new belts above.
