Tag: PFL: Battle of the Giants

Video: What’s next for Francis Ngannou after claiming PFL title in MMA return?

What should be next for Francis Ngannou after his win over Renan Ferreira for the PFL heavyweight superfights belt?

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] made an emphatic return to MMA competition Saturday when he emerged from the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event with the promotion’s inaugural superfight heavyweight title.

Former UFC heavyweight champ Ngannou (18-3) spent about 1,000 days away from the sport in which he made his name. That time away included two high-profile boxing matches and a personal tragedy with the death of his son, but he returned for a first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

With Ngannou seemingly unable to fight top-ranked MMA heavyweights like Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall in the UFC, it raises questions about what should be next. Check out the video above for thoughts and analysis on Ngannou’s future.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Johnny Eblen showed his ‘whole deck of cards’ in Bellator title rematch, reveals ‘hit list’ of next opponents

Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen has a solid list of opponent he wants to see in the cage after beating Fabian Edwards in Riyadh.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Bellator middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] has a few names he wants to check off his list after another successful title defense at PFL: Battle of the Giants.

For the second time in 13 months, the undefeated Eblen (16-0) faced Fabian Edwards in a title fight. Eblen stopped Edwards (13-4) the first time around in the third round. This time, things were different as the fight went the distance, and the location played a factor too, according to the champ.

“I feel like it kind felt the same as the first time around, but this time I showed my whole deck of cards,” Eblen told MMA Junkie and other reporters during a post-fight news conference. “I utilized my wrestling a bit more. It was a similar type of fight, except the last fight, I caught him. This fight, I could have caught him. I hurt him early.

“I think the time change, it was a big, big impact on me. I really felt it in the fifth round. I think next time I fight out here, I’m going to have to come out earlier.”

Unless Edwards goes on an undeniable run, which is hard to do given Bellator’s event schedule, there won’t be a trilogy fight against Eblen. So the champ will be looking forward to facing a new opponent. In fact, Eblen has made it easier for the Bellator and PFL matchmakers by laying out a “hit list” of names.

“Derek Brunson, Costello van Steenis and Impa (Kasanganay), those are the guys that are on my hit list,” Eblen said. “Whoever’s ready to fight first.”

UFC veteran Brunson (24-9) won his PFL debut last November in a unanimous decision over Ray Cooper. Van Steenis (15-3) is 7-2 under the Bellator banner, and picked up a win over Gregory Babene in May.

Kasanganay (18-4) would be an exciting rematch from their February bout at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions. Eblen won the fight by split decision, but it took a late rally to get the job done. Kasanganay is also a month away from potentially securing his second consecutive light heavyweight PFL championship.

For now, Eblen will enjoy the fruits of his labor after securing his third Bellator title defense, and await the next challenge that promotion produces.

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Coach Eric Nicksick: Francis Ngannou ‘was questioning himself’ before PFL title win, entered with rib injury

In addition to the tremendous emotional and mental burden Francis Ngannou carried into his PFL debut, he also overcame physical hurdles.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – In addition to the tremendous emotional and mental burden [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] carried into PFL: Battle of the Giants following the tragic death of his son, he also overcame physical hurdles.

Ngannou (18-3) revealed to MMA Junkie post-fight after Saturday’s first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira (13-4) to claim the inaugural PFL superfight heavyweight title, that his camp was troubled by a rib injury that led to a degree of contemplation about pulling out of the fight.

He ultimately moved forward with the contest and got the job done, but his head MMA coach [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] admitted there was a degree of concern, especially if Ngannou was forced to fight from bottom position at any point against Ferreira.

“It was bad enough to where you’ve got to think: He blew out his knee and wasn’t going to pull out of the Ciryl Gane fight, (but almost pulled out of this one),” Nicksick told MMA Junkie in an exclusive interview on Sunday. “There’s a difference, different stakes, but also it was a different type of pain for him, and obviously we had a grappling-heavy game plan.

“He was worried if he was on his back, how he would be able to move and try to grapple with an injured rib. Once he went to the doctors and they cleared him with an MRI and everything else, I think he realized, ‘I’m going to be OK. I’m going to get through this still.'”

Although the injury was not inconsequential, it also paled in comparison to everything else Ngannou had to endure in his return to MMA exactly 1,000 days after he competed in his final UFC bout against Gane in January 2022.

Ngannou’s 15-month-old son Kobe tragically passed away earlier this year and the trauma of the situation led to thoughts of retirement. Ngannou said he ultimately decided he wanted to come back and dedicate a winning performance to his deceased child, and once he conquered that mission, the emotion poured out in the form of a lengthy embrace with Nicksick and many tears inside the cage.

“I can see the weight lifted off his shoulders immediately,” Nicksick said. “I think that was a lot of my emotional reaction when he won the fight. I just wanted to get in there and be with my boy. He’s been through a lot, and more than I think a lot of us will ever know. It’s just an unimaginable set of events that occurred. Not only that, but coming back and winning in the fashion that he won – it’s just a lot of emotions.

“There wasn’t a lot of words being said (when we embraced). I just wanted to be there and just hug my boy, man. Seeing the emotions that he’s had the last six months, and not only that, even going back to the Anthony Joshua fight – a lot of questioning. It was heavy. It was just heavy. There wasn’t a lot being said. I just told him I loved him, gave him a big old hug and just wanted to be there with him and support him.”

Ngannou, 38, admitted after the victory that part of his motivation to return to fighting was to “find out if I can still fight, if I still have it.” There was real amount of self doubt, and Nicksick said that didn’t go away even as the final hours wound down to standing across from Ferreira.

As Ngannou has done over and over throughout his life, however, he found a way to accomplish his goal. He did it when he escaped his native Cameroon in pursuit of a better life. He did it when he survived homelessness in France. He did it when he entered MMA with limited experience and rose to become UFC champion. And he did it again on Saturday in claiming PFL gold.

“I never questioned him, but I know he was questioning himself all the way – even up until the day of the fight,” Nicksick said. “I know that he carried a different type of weight to him and all I told him was, ‘There’s no other person in the world that I’ve met that has the courage and resiliency that you have. And if there’s anybody that can get through some sort of adversity, it’s going to be you. I don’t know what it is about God or fate or the universe that they put things in front of you. They put things in front of you because they want to see you get through it.’ That was my thing for him.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

One more year: Cris Cyborg hints 20th could be end, hopes for motherhood soon after

PFL Super Fights champ Cris Cyborg hints retirement will come after one final year of fighting.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] is as dominant as ever, but it doesn’t sound like she plans on faltering before retirement.

A 19-year pro, Cyborg (27-2) hinted after her PFL: Battle of the Giants win Saturday that she might not have too many fights left before she hangs up the gloves.

“It took a long time to fight,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “My last time, I fought one year ago. I wanted to fight more times, for me to defend my title, because I want to complete 20 years in my career. This year is 19 and I want to go to my next chapter of my life and have a kid. Next plan, I’d like to defend my title as soon as possible.”

Through her five-round unanimous decision victory over Larissa Pacheco, Cyborg earned a PFL Super Fights title. She adds the gold belt to a trophy cabinet that includes UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, and Invicta gold – an unprecedented level of multi-promotional success.

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When you have that many historic moments inside the cage, Cyborg admits it’s difficult to choose which one means most.

“Every one is really hard for me,” Cyborg said. “But this one was nice because I’m 39 years old – 39 and fighting for the title. For me, it means a lot. I think this is special for me to be PFL champion with a PFL belt.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Francis Ngannou: PFL title win proved ‘I still have it,’ but ‘a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to grieve’ son’s death

Francis Ngannou will never fully cope with the tragic death of his son Kobe, but his PFL title win was a small aid in his healing process.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] will never be able to fully cope with the tragic death of his 15-month-old son Kobe, but his victory at PFL: Battle of the Giants was a small aid in his healing process.

Ngannou (18-3) came into Saturday’s inaugural heavyweight superfight title clash with Renan Ferreira (13-4) with many questions around him. In addition to the weight of an unthinkable personal loss, it was also his first MMA fight in 1,000 days, and came seven months after his brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in boxing.

He came out and took Ferreira down in the first round and battered him with ground strikes for the TKO finish, and afterward the emotions poured out in the cage.

“They’ve been telling me I’m tough to the point where I think I’m tough – and I recently just found out I wasn’t tough,” Ngannou told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight. “I wasn’t that tough. Life can let you take the events and think you’re running away, and then it hits you really bad from the front. It’s something that I never imagined. I never knew how I would feel. I see people going through and out of compassion I tried to understand how they must feel. But I would never get anywhere close to how it feels exactly.”

For all the questions about him externally, Ngannou admits he had doubts about himself internally. He didn’t know how he would deal with returning to the spotlight and having to answer endless questions about his situation, and said those thoughts were even running through his mind on fight day.

Ngannou proved he’s still a serious threat inside the cage, though, and that answered a lot for him.

“It was hard,” Ngannou said. “It was one of those things where you ask yourself, ‘Is it ever going to be over?’ It might never be over. You might as well just learn how to roll with it, how to live with it. In certain cases, I would take time to breathe, but how long would that take? I don’t think there’s enough time for me to do that. I don’t think a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to grieve. So is it just about keeping going. It’s a new way of living that I have to learn.

“Unfortunately, (the win) doesn’t take my challenge away. My challenge is still there. It was my big challenge. My biggest challenge in the way that I wasn’t the person that I used to be coming into this fight. This fight for me was always a way to find out if I can still fight, if I still have it. If I can deal with this. With the pressure, with the fight week, with media and everything. We got through. I think it might take some time to process things.”

Ngannou said the circumstances around the fight makes the result and title victory more meaningful than his UFC championship win. Although it wasn’t the stand-up war some expected, Ngannou said he knew he was a more complete fighter than Ferreira and took the path of least resistance to get his hand raised.

“I could’ve tried to stay in striking and figure out who can box better than who,” Ngannou said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about the win. Even though he has good jiu-jitsu, I know I have good enough wrestling to control his jiu-jitsu and his position on the ground if I’m on top.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos

Check out these photos from Francis Ngannou’s knockout of Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh.

Check out these photos [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s superfight title victory over Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants, which took place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos courtesy of PFL MMA)

Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco at PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos

Check out these photos from Cris Cyborg’s victory over Larissa Paceco at PFL: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh.

Check out these photos [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag]’s superfight title victory over Larissa Pacheco at PFL: Battle of the Giants, which took place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos courtesy of PFL MMA)

Johnny Eblen def. Fabian Edwards at PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos

Check out these photos from Johnny Eblen’s Bellator middleweight title defense over Fabian Edwards at PFL: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag]’s Bellator middleweight title defense over Fabian Edwards at PFL: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh. (Photos courtesy of PFL MMA)

PFL: Battle of the Giants live updates: Results, round-by-round coverage of every fight

Check out live round-by-round updates and official results from PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia.

PFL: Battle of the Giants took place Saturday, and MMA Junkie provided live round-by-round updates throughout the event. PFL: Battle of the Giants (ESPN+) took place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (18-3) returned to MMA for the first time since January 2022 to take on PFL champ Renan Ferreira (12-4) for the promotion’s heavyweight superfight title. In the co-feature, Bellator women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg (28-2) took on PFL champ Larissa Pacheco (23-5) for that division’s superfight belt. And in a third title fight, Bellator middleweight titleholder Johnny Eblen (16-0) met Fabian Edwards (13-4) in a rematch.

Check out our round-by-round updates and official results below.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

PFL: Battle of the Giants lineup

MAIN CARD (DAZN pay-per-view, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:32 – for heavyweight superfights title
  • Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) – for women’s featherweight superfights title
  • Johnny Eblen def. Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – for Bellator middleweight title
  • Zafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Paul Hughes def. A.J. McKee via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 1:30 p.m. ET)

  • Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:01
  • Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:51

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Round 1 – Ngannou opens the fight with a hard leg kick. Ferreira responds with one of his own. Ferreira controls from the center as they study the range. Big swings and misses from both. Ferreira lands a hard leg kick as Ngannou charges forward with a punch. Ngannou shoots in and gets a big takedown, taking top position in full guard. Ferreira throws up a triangle choke, but Ngannou calmly shakes it off. Two minutes to go now. Ngannou postures up and starts raining down hard punches from the top. Ferreira turns and gives up his back, and Ngannou unloads bombs until Ferreira goes out! Wow!

Result: Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:32
Recap: PFL: Battle of the Giants results: Francis Ngannou pounds Renan Ferreira into unconsciousness
Photos: Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos
Records: Ngannou (18-3), Ferreira (13-4)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view (DAZN)
Referee: Dan Miragliotta

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco

Round 1 – Cyborg lands a stiff left as Pacheco offers a punch. Both swing again at the same time, but it’s Cyborg who grabs hold of a clinch. Cyborg knees to the thighs, and offers a hook on the exit. Cyborg gets a big slam into side control. Von Flue choke potential is there, but Pacheco gets her arm free.Pacheco scrambles to her feet. Cyborg lands a big head kick! Pacheco eats it and fires off punches. Woah. Cyborg clinches up again. Knees to the body from Cyborg. A short elbow sneaks in too. They separate, and Cyborg lands a quick pair of punches. Cyborg changes levels again for another big takedown, but Pacheco puts her in danger with a guillotine choke. Pacheco holds the attempt for a little bit, but Cyborg pops her head out and punches from the top as blood has covered them both now.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Cyborg.

Round 2 – Cuts are apparent over both of Cyborg’s eyes. Pacheco comes forward and Cyborg looks for a head kick. Cyborg misses with a punch. Pacheco comes in with a quick combo. An inside leg kick from Cyborg takes Pacheco off balance. Cyborg clinches, pushing Pacheco into the cage. Cyborg lands a nice backfist on the exit. Pacheco comes forward but leaves herself open for Cyborg to change levels for another takedown. Cyborg secures top half and works some ground and pound. Cyborg stands up, and the fight resumes on the feet. Pacheco lands a clean punch in the closing seconds.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 Cyborg.

Round 3 – They exchange leg kicks to start, and hard punches upstairs soon follow. An awkward moment takes place as Pacheco backs away, but then waves Cyborg to meet her on her half of the cage. Cyborg just says in place and they both kind of stare at each other for a moment. Awkward. The ref calls for action and they get back into striking range. Pacheco lands a sharp 1-2. She then catches a kick and floors Cyborg with a powerful right hand. Pacheco takes top position on the ground, focusing on control while adding a few punches and elbows.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Pacheco.

Round 4 – Cyborg kicks to the body. Pacheco responds with a hard outside leg kick. Pacheco looks for a knee, but gets countered with a combo. Cyborg tries to catch a kick and counter, but Pacheco lands a punch as well. Cyborg offers a front kick to the body and Pacheco counters nicely. Cyborg kicks to the body again and eats another right hand. Cyborg lands a big overhand right, and follows up with a flurry. Pacheco covers up and circles away. Pacheco catches a right kick and fires a stiff right hand counter. Cyborg charges ahead with a couple of punches. A takedown attempt is stuffed, and Pacheco lands a few before the bell.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Pacheco.

Round 5 – Cyborg comes out with a leg kick and a left jab. A left hook then finds the mark as Pacheco offers a low kick. Both swing with huge overhand rights at the exact same time, just missing each other. Pacheco lands a low kick. Pacheco lands a right hand, prompting Cyborg to blitz forward with strikes. Pacheco drops to the ground, and Cyborg looks to capitalize from the top, but Pacheco gets up quickly. A moment later, Pacheco lands a right hand. Cyborg responds with an overhand. One minute to go. Another overhand for Cyborg, followed by a jab. Cyborg charges in with a takedown. She opts to stand and let Pacheco up. Short time remaining and they exchange hooks before the final bell.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Cyborg, giving her the fight 48-47.

Result: Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Recap: PFL: Battle of the Giants results: Cris Cyborg damaged, but victorious vs. Larissa Pacheco
Photos: Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco at PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos
Records: Cyborg (28-2), Pacheco (23-5)
Division: Women’s featherweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view (DAZN)
Referee: Bryan Miner
Judging: Mark Collett, Hadi Ali, Sal D’Amato

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards

Round 1 – They come out exchanging early leg kicks. Eblen goes for a head kick followed by a right hand. They trade low kicks again. Edwards counters with a nice right uppercut as Eblen offers punches. Edwards looks for a left kick, but gets countered with a hard right hand by Eblen. A moment later, Eblen sends Edwards stumbling back into the fence with a right hand. Eblen closes in, clinching against the cage. They return to the center. Eblen shoots in for a strong takedown, but Edwards pops up. Eblen keeps with the clinch, and slams Edwards back down. Once again, Edwards gets right back to his feet as Eblen keeps the back control. Eblen adds a couple of short elbows before the bell.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Eblen.

Round 2 – Edwards slaps with a few leg kicks to start the round. Another kick catches Eblen off balance as he charged ahead with a punch. Edwards lands a sharp left counter. Eblen changes levels, wrestling for a takedown against the fence, eventually getting the fight to the canvas. Edwards works toward the fence to get to his feet, but can’t shake Eblen’s grip. They separate with just a few seconds remaining, and exchange a few punches before the rounds ends.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Eblen.

Round 3 – Exchange of leg kicks to start, followed by single punch offerings from both. Both miss with punching combinations as they remain in the center of the cage looking to trade. Edwards lands a couple of front kicks to the body. Midway through the round now, Eblen charges ahead behind a right hand, straight into a single-leg takedown. Edwards gives up back control as he tries to rise to his feet. He gets free with just over a minute to go, and gets back to offering front kicks to the body. Edwards leaps with a flying knee to the body. Eblen closes in to wrestle until the end of the round.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Edwards.

Round 4 – Edwards comes out firing strikes from the center of the cage. Eblen offers a wheel kick that catches nothing but air. Edwards keeps his activity high with quick punches and kicks. Eblen shoots in and gets the fight to the mat for an easy takedown. Eblen lifts and dumps Edwards for a pair of mat returns. Edwards works up to his feet, just to get returned once again. Edwards gets up again, and this time they separate and trade punches.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Eblen.

Round 5 – With just five minutes left, Edwards comes out firing a combination. He accidentally pokes Eblen in the eye, pausing the fight. After a short pause, Edwards gets back to pressuring forward with strikes. A front kick from Edwards lands low, causing another halt to the action. The fight resumes quickly. Edwards remains heavy with forward pressure behind front kicks and punches. A nice counter left lands clean for Edwards. Eblen changes levels but is brushed away. Another nice front kick from Edwards. More clean punches now. Eblen shoots in again, but can’t get it. Edwards unloads another nice combination, and the crowd is waking up. Edwards lands a left and a few short elbows in close. More elbows connect from Edwards. Eblen closes in to clinch, and lands an elbow on the exit. Edwards steps in with a knee as the action heats up entering the last minute. Edwards with a solid knee to the body. Edwards is pouring it on as much as possible. Eblen gets a clinch to slow things until the fight ends.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Edwards, but the fight goes to Eblen, 48-47.

Result: Johnny Eblen def. Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Recap: PFL: Battle of the Giants results: Johnny Eblen suffocates Fabian Edwards to retain title in rematch
Photos: Johnny Eblen def. Fabian Edwards at PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos
Records: Eblen (16-0), Edwards (13-4)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view (DAZN)
Referee: Mike Beltran
Judging: Bryan Miner, Hadi Ali, Eric Colon

Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar Mohsen

Round 1 – Calculated start here as both fighters feel out the range with a few single strikes. Kadimagomaev shoots in for a takedown, driving Mohsen into the fence. Mohsen gets up and away without much issue. He then comes forward with punches, but Kadimagomaev changes levels for a single leg attempt, resulting in a battle against the fence. Mohsen counters with a nice toss, but Kadimagomaev is up immediately, and right back into the clinch. They separate and start trading leg kicks. Mohsen pressures forward from the center with strikes, including a spinning backfist.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Mohsen.

Round 2 – Kadimagomaev comes forward as Mohsen looks to counter on the outside. They switch positions and Mohsen digs in a body kick. Mohsen sits on a nice left hand. Kadimagomaev leaps with a knee into a single leg, but gets stuffed by Mohsen. Kadimagomaev keeps with the takedown attempt as they rise into the fence. Mohsen stays heavy from a favorable position and hits another nice judo toss, landing in full guard. They return to the feet, working in a clinch battle against the cage until the horn.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Mohsen.

Round 3 – Five minutes to go here and Kadimagomaev gets back to work looking for a takedown. Mohsen continues to show excellent takedown defense as he keeps the fight upright along the cage. The fight stalls out here, prompting the referee to separate the fighters. Mohsen looks for a big head kick that just misses the mark. Kadimagomaev appears very fatigued as Mohsen lands a hard leg kick followed by a clean right hand. Kadimagomaev shoots in again, but is easily stuffed, and ends up in top half guard. Mohsen adds punches and a few short elbows from the top to close out the fight.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Mohsen, giving him the fight 30-27.

Result: Zafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos from Riyadh
Records: Kadimagomaev (11-2), Mohsen (14-4)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view (DAZN)
Referee: Mike Beltran
Judging: Eric Colon, Bryan Miner, Sal D’Amato

A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes

Round 1 – McKee darts forward with a kick to the body, nearly caught by Hughes. McKee fires off a fast punching combination. McKee steps in with another punch, catching Hughes clean with another as he circles away. McKee closes in and unloads a series of punches. Hughes circles out, but jumps back into the fire with a knee as McKee changes levels. McKee has a the body lock now, looking for a takedown. Hughes escapes and lands a punch on the exit. McKee eats another knee as he changes levels again. McKee tries to kick out the leg for the takedown, but Hughes is wise to it and punches down to McKee, who stays on the canvas. Hughes punches from the up-down position, carefully avoiding upkicks from McKee. Hughes sprawls as McKee attempts to grab a single leg. They’re back to the feet in the finals seconds. McKee kicks to the body, but Hughes responds with a huge knee and a big right hook! Huge end to the round for Hughes.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Hughes.

Round 2 – Hughes kicks to the head, but it’s blocked. McKee offers a high front kick and then a spinning back kick to the body. Hughes kicks to the shin. The action stalls for a moment as Hughes stalks forward. McKee lands an outside leg kick. Hughes clinches up. McKee digs in a nice knee to the body. They separate, and McKee fires off a few punches. Hughes kicks t other lead leg before charging forward with hooks. McKee lands a side kick, but it’s to Hughes’ junk, pausing the fight. After the restart, Hughes lands a strong left hook followed by a flurry of strikes. McKee is able to get a hold of Hughes to work for a takedown. He gets Hughes down to a knee, and lands a couple of knees to the body before the bell.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Hughes.

Round 3 – McKee offers a spinning kick to the body and a few punches before shooting for the takedown. McKee ends up on the bottom of another up-down position, but quickly gets back to his feet. McKee lands a right and shoots in again. McKee slides out a leg, getting Hughes down to a knee. Hughes gets up, with Mckee still attached. Hughes shakes free, and unloads a nice combination. Hughes continues to land punches as he comes forward. McKee appears fatigued. Hughes keeps coming. McKee changes levels, but is sprawled nicely. One minute remaining. McKee works his way into another takedown attempt, but finds himself sprawled again.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Hughes, giving him the fight 30-27.

Result: Paul Hughes def. A.J. McKee via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Recap: PFL: Battle of the Giants results: Paul Hughes edges out A.J. McKee, calls out Usman Nurmagomedov
Photos: Paul Hughes def. A.J. McKee at PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos
Records: McKee (22-2), Hughes (13-1)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view (DAZN)
Referee: Dan Miragliotta
Judging: Hadi Ali (29-28), Mark Collett (28-29), Sal D’Amato (29-28)

Marcos Breno vs. Raufeon Stots

Round 1 – They touch ’em up and start playing the hand range game. Stots stings with a hard inside kick. Breno responds with punches and starts marching forward with combinations. A right hand cracks Stots. Breno keeps the pressure high. Stots looks for a takedown to slow things. Breno isn’t having it and gets back to firing accurate strikes. Another fast, hard 1-2 buckles Stots. Another takedown is denied by Breno. Stots peppers out the right jab, but Breno answers with another combination. Stots digs in with a hard body kick. He then gets a single leg takedown, but Breno keeps the whizzer to get back up. Stots keeps the clinch along the cage. Stots gets him down, and controls from the top until the round ends.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Breno.

Round 2 – Stots comes out working behind a right jab. A hard kick to the body gets in for Stots. Breno fires off a series of punches, mostly blocked by Stots. A solid right hand lands for Stots, and he shoots in immediately after. Stots gets Breno down to a knee with back control. Stots gets Breno to the mat and looks for a crucifix from side control. Stots looks for an arm triangle, but Breno recovers full guard. Stots gets in a couple of short punches before the bell.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Stots.

Round 3 – Stots works behind the right jab again to start the round as they exchange strikes. Stots gets the better of these exchanges with sharp counters. Breno decides to change levels and gets a takedown. Stots grabs an arm-in guillotine and squeezes, but it’s not very tight. A moment later, Stots hits a beautiful sweep to take top position. Breno gives up his back as he tries to scramble to his feet and Stots slaps on a rear-naked choke. It’s tight! Breno taps! What a finish for Stots!

Result: Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:01
Photos: PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos from Riyadh
Records: Breno (15-4), Stots (21-2)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mike Beltran

Dedrek Sanders vs. Makkasharip Zaynukov

Round 1 – Cautious start here as they feel out the range. Zaynukov fires off an inside leg kick. Zaynukov goes to the body with another. Sanders looks to answer with punches, but Zaynukov connects with a right. Zaynukov cracks Sanders with a big punch, nearly buckling him. Sanders drills a hard body kick. Zaynukov clinches after missing with a pair of punches. Zaynukov drags Sanders to the ground, but can’t keep him there. Zaynukov gets the clinch trip a moment later, though. One minute to go. Sanders nearly gets back to his feet, but Zaynukov adjusts and controls until the horn.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Zaynukov.

Round 2 – Another calculated start to the round. Sanders connects with a punching combo. Zaynukov circles on the outside, and now he offers a pair of punches. A head kick right behind them. Sanders turns up the pressure a bit, looking for another combo. Sanders kicks but it’s caught, and Zaynukov gets a takedown in the center. Sanders patiently works toward the fence and gets to his feet, but is quickly returned to the mat. Sanders gets to his feet again, but this time Zaynukov lifts and slams him to the ground. Zaynukov keeps back control until the horn.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Zaynukov.

Round 3 – Patient striking exchanges begin the final round. Zaynukov shoots in and completes another takedown, quickly transitioning to full mount close to the fence. Sanders scrambles his way out of the position, but Zaynukov takes the back. Sanders attempts to escape that too, but ends up mounted again. Zaynukov adds some short elbows for ground and pound. Now punches and hammerfists. The referee steps closer and calls for Sanders to defend himself as Zaynukov keeps pounding. A stoppage appeared near, but there’s the horn anyway.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8 for Zaynukov, giving him the fight 30-26.

Result: Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Photos: PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos from Riyadh
Records: Sanders (9-5), Zaynukov (16-4)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mike Beltran
Judging: Eric Colon, Mark Collett, Hadi Ali

Nacho Campos vs. Ibragim Ibragimov

Round 1 – Ibragimov opens up with a hard inside leg kick. A high kick soon follows, and Ibragimov shoots in for a takedown. Campos defends against the cage. Ibragimov adjusts and gets the trip, landing in guard. Campos gets back to his feet, but Ibragimov is still firmly attached with back control. Campos grabs the cage, prompting a verbal warning. Ibragimov gets him back to the mat and locks in a body triangle. Campos grabs a toe, prompting another warning from the ref. Ibragimov adds a couple of punches and an elbow before the horn.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Ibragimov.

Round 2 – Ibragimov immediately shoots in and gets the fight to the ground. Campos nearly gets a reversal, but Ibragimov prevents it and maintains the top position. Campos works up to his feet, nearly giving up his back. Ibragimov drags Campos to the mat again, wrapping up his legs from the top. Campos gets his back to the cage as Ibragimov punches to the body. Campos nearly gets up again, but Ibragimov wrestles him back down. Campos gets up after the 10-second marker and lands a couple of short elbows in the clinch.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Ibragimov.

Round 3 – Campos looks to find a home for punches, and Ibragimov obliges to exchange. It’s short-lived, though, as Ibragimov shoots in and we’re back to him controlling Campos on the canvas. Campos stands and attempts to work free, but is unable to. Ibragimov drags him to the ground and locks in a body triangle from the back. Ibragimov punches while Campos tries to punch over the back of his head. The position doesn’t change until the final horn.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Ibragimov, giving him the fight 30-27.

Result: Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos from Riyadh
Records: Campos (5-1), Ibragimov (8-0)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Dan Miragliotta
Judging: Sal D’Amato, Mark Collett, Hadi Ali

Taha Bendaoud vs. Tariq Ismail

Round 1 – Ismail starts the action with a leg kick and pushes forward into a bodylock takedown. Bendaoud gets mission control and looks for an omoplata, but Ismail slips out. Now in side control, Ismail nearly secures a crucifix position. Bendaoud throws up an inverted triangle, and gets it locked down, but Ismail gets out without much issue. The position battle continues on the mat with Ismail trying to maintain top control. Ismail lands a couple of short strikes before settling in side control until the horn.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Ismail.

Round 2 – They exchange a few leg kicks to start, but Ismail closes in for another body lock, lifts, and slams Bendaoud to the canvas. Ismail lands in side control and nearly gets the crucifix again as he works ground and pound offense. The referee calls for Bendaoud to respond, and he does his best to get control of Ismail, who gets into full mount to rain down more punches. Bendaoud manages to attack an ankle, but Ismail slips away and gets back to pounding away from the top. Out of nowhere, Bendaoud throws up a triangle and it’s tight. Woah. It’s really tight! Ismail is in trouble! He taps! Unbelievable comeback!

Result: Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:51
Photos: PFL: Battle of the Giants: Best photos from Riyadh
Records: Bendaoud (4-0), Ismail (8-2)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Bryan Miner

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

PFL: Battle of the Giants results: Francis Ngannou pounds Renan Ferreira into unconsciousness

Watch Francis Ngannou knock out Renan Ferreira in his return to MMA.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

In the case of the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event Saturday, [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] took height out of the occasion.

At Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ngannou (18-3) pounded [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (13-4) into unconsciousness with ground-and-pound punches from back mount for a knockout stoppage at 3:32 of Round 1.

Ngannou, 38, took the fight to the ground early. From there, Ferreira shot up a triangle. Once Ngannou escaped, it was practically game over. The former UFC heavyweight champion who never lost his title blasted his opponent with big punches to end the fight.

The bout was Ngannou’s first in MMA since his UFC departure in early 2023. He competed twice in boxing vs. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, and lost both bouts. The first was by controversial split decision. The second was a knockout defeat.

Ferreira’s four-fight winning streak comes to an end. He emerged as the best option for Ngannou after knockout wins over Matheus Scheffel, Maurice Greene, Denis Goltsov, and Ryan Bader.

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Full PFL: Battle of the Giants results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.