Tag: PFL: Battle of the Giants

A.J. McKee: Win over ‘arrogant’ Paul Hughes gets me title shot vs. Usman Nurmagomedov

A.J. McKee is confident a win at PFL: Battle of the Giants gets him a crack at Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] believes there’s a lot riding on his next fight.

The former Bellator featherweight champion is confident a win over [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] at Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants will get him a crack at the belt at 155 pounds, a title currently held by [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

“I think it’s an exciting matchup,” McKee told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “The fight everyone has wanted for the longest is Usman (Nurmagomedov) and I, so I think this is the fight to get to that fight. So yeah, with that being said, I just have to go handle business Saturday and onto bigger and better things.”

McKee (22-1) has been displeased by some of the things Hughes (12-1) has said ahead of their lightweight bout. Although there’s been trash talk on his end in past fights, McKee believes his approach is vastly different than Hughes.

“We’re completely two different human beings,” McKee said. “In my process and my journey I always had respect for Patricio where I don’t feel it’s a respect thing. I think he’s a little headstrong and arrogant, but that’s my personal opinion. But yeah, when we get locked in that cage on Saturday, it’s just him and I. All the smack talk and the jokes go out the window.”

Although setting his sight on Nurmagomedov, McKee understands Hughes is not an easy challenge and he’ll require his full attention this Saturday.

“I can’t look past Paul Hughes, but at the same time I know where I see myself and what it takes to be there.”

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

Paul Hughes would want ‘severe drug testing’ for Usman Nurmagomedov title fight

Paul Hughes took a shot at Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] took a shot at Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Hughes (12-1) faces A.J. McKee (22-1) in a pivotal lightweight clash on Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants main card (DAZN, ESPN+) at The Mayadeen. Part of the appeal to sign with PFL for Hughes was the $1 million tournament, but challenging Nurmagomedov would entice him more than entering the lightweight season at the moment.

“The title is more appealing to me,” Hughes told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “It’s a bigger fight. It’s a huge fight. It could be an absolutely massive fight for Bellator-PFL if they promote it right, which I’m sure they would. It’s Ireland vs. Dagestan, No. 2. It’s a Nurmagomedov vs. myself. That sells itself in my opinion. So, we’ll see. Whenever I get A.J. out of there on Saturday, I think it puts me in a spot of good leverage.”

If the stars align and they do end up fighting, Hughes hopes Nurmagomedov is frequently drug tested. He’s referring to Nurmagomedov’s failed drug test in October in which his title-defense win over Brent Primus at Bellator 300 was overturned to a no contest by the California State Athletic Commission.

After providing “evidence that the prohibited substance was prescribed to him by a physician and maintains that the prohibited substance was prescribed for therapeutic use,” Nurmagomedov wasn’t stripped of his title but was handed a six-month suspension and a $50,000 fine. He then defend his title in September by defeating Alexandr Shabliy.

“I haven’t looked too much into it,” Hughes said on Nurmagomedov’s failed drug test. “I would like to know what he actually popped for. I think it was some sort of medication is what they say. I’m not too sure, but I’d be making sure if I’m fighting him there would be severe drug testing for sure.”

Despite his comments, Hughes sees Nurmagomedov as an elite lightweight across all promotions.

“He’s certainly up there,” Hughes said. “His last performance, albeit he was fighting a very good fighter in Shabliy, who I do rate, it wasn’t the best performance of all time. It wasn’t that exciting, so I guess that would decrease how I see him. He probably is top 10 to be completely honest.”

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

Dan Hardy: Renan Ferreira dominating Francis Ngannou would put him in consideration as top heavyweight

Dan Hardy makes a case for Renan Ferreira being the best heavyweight in MMA if he can emphatically beat Francis Ngannou.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Dan Hardy[/autotag] makes a case for [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] being the best heavyweight in MMA if he can emphatically beat [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag].

Ferreira (13-3) meets former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou (17-3) in Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants (DAZN/ESPN+) main event at The Mayadeen.

PFL has been promoting Ngannou vs. Ferreira as a fight to determine “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” but with UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall looking unbeatable as of late and heavyweight champion Jon Jones widely considered the greatest fighter of all time, many disagree with that narrative.

Hardy believes an argument can be made for Ferreira if he’s able to look levels above Ngannou.

“If Renan comes through his weekend looking like a world beater, I think a lot of people are going to look at him and go, ‘You know what, he’s 6-foot-8, he’s trained at ATT (American Top Team), he’s dangerous in striking, he’s got great grappling and takedown defense since he’s moved there, I can make an argument for him,'” Hardy told MMA Junkie. “Jon Jones, for me, is still not a proven heavyweight. Stipe is way past his peak. I love Stipe, but he’s way past his peak. So, I don’t think Jones benefits a great deal from beating Stipe at this point.

“The benefit from the UFC’s perspective is that the very, very casual fans still feel like Stipe is at the top of the game. … For me, the Jones-Stipe fight, it doesn’t hold a great deal of interest. Jones-Aspinall, that’s the fight I want to see, and I think that determines the best heavyweight in the UFC. I think this fight determines the best heavyweight outside of the UFC. If ever there was a day where we could see the winner of these two fights face each other, I mean that would be a real treat for the fans.”

Despite the PFL’s promotion surrounding Ngannou vs. Ferreira, Hardy has a different opinion on who’s currently the No. 1 heavyweight in MMA.

“We know that Francis is an elite-level heavyweight, and I very much feel like Renan is, even though a lot of people may not consider him to be right now,” Hardy said. “Ryan Bader is no joke, and that was what, 40 seconds?

“And I feel like the improvements I’ve seen in Renan Ferreira’s game in the last couple of fights in particular, it gives me the confidence that he’s going to be able to hold his own against much better heavyweights. Tom Aspinall, for me, is probably the best heavyweight in the world right now, outside of the conversation with these two guys.”

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

Bellator champ Johnny Eblen considers himself, UFC’s Sean Strickland top MMA middleweights

Bellator champ Johnny Eblen dubs himself and former UFC champ Sean Strickland as the best middleweights in the world.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Bellator champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] dubs himself and former UFC champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] the best middleweights in the world.

Eblen (15-0) defends his title against Fabian Edwards (13-3) in a rematch at Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants main card (DAZN, ESPN+) at The Mayadeen. Eblen is undefeated in his professional MMA career, with his most recent four wins coming over Gegard Mousasi, Anatoly Tokov, Edwards, and Impa Kasanganay. Meanwhile, Strickland has won four of his past five fights, including a title win over Israel Adesanya.

Having trained with Strickland at Xtreme Couture, Eblen spoke highly of the former UFC champ.

“I’m going to have to go with my boy Sean Strickland,” Eblen told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Every time I go out and train with him in Vegas, it’s tough rounds. He gets me sometimes, and I get him sometimes.

“I think truly we’re the best middleweights in the world. The fact that I get to train with him, and we happen to be in different promotions right now is kind of cool. And that we get to train together, and also we’re both making good money.”

Eblen knocked out Edwards in the third round of their first title meeting in September 2023. The judges were split on the scorecards prior to the knockout, with one judge having Edwards up 2-0, one judge having Eblen up 2-0, and the third judge having it tied 1-1 heading into the third.

This time, Eblen wants to make sure he leaves no doubt that he’s the better fighter.

“I think I dominate every single minute of every single round,” Eblen said. “Whether I get a finish in the first or the fifth, it doesn’t really matter. I’m prepared for everything he’s going to throw at me. I don’t think he’s prepared for everything I’m going to throw at him.”

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

PFL: Battle of the Giants video: First faceoffs of fight week with Ngannou vs. Ferreira, more

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.

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

Peter Murray: PFL: Battle of the Giants biggest event of 2024 – bigger than UFC 300, UFC 306 at Sphere

PFL CEO Peter Murray is well aware of UFC boss Dana White’s shots at the promotion, but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Peter Murray believes PFL: Battle of the Giants is the biggest MMA event of the year.

PFL: Battle of the Giants (DAZN/ESPN+ pay-per-view) takes place Saturday at The Mayadeen. Two super fight belts will be on the line, with former UFC champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] (17-3) taking on 2023 PFL champion [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (13-3) in the heavyweight main event. In the co-main event, Cris Cyborg (27-2-1) will look to collect her fifth belt from a major organization when she faces two-time PFL champion Larissa Pacheco (23-4). A Bellator title-fight rematch between champion Johnny Eblen (15-0) and Fabian Edwards (13-3) is also on the card, as well as a lightweight banger between A.J. McKee (22-1) and Paul Hughes (12-1).

Murray sees this event not only as the biggest in company history, but the PFL CEO even puts it ahead of UFC 300 and UFC 306 at Sphere.

“This is the biggest event of absolutely the PFL company history and the biggest event of the year,” Murray told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to stacking this up against – when you look at the cards from UFC 300, the Sphere, but as it relates to the card, this event on Oct. 19 is the biggest of the year, second to none.”

Murray and PFL co-owner Donn Davis’ bold claims have received heavy criticism from UFC CEO Dana White, who trashes PFL and its product every time he’s asked about them.

White’s words don’t seem to bother Murray.

“Listen, we’re focused on our game,” Murray said in response. “Our roster is second to none. The quality of our production and presentation is second to none. We bring more innovation to the sport of MMA than anyone has in the last two decades, and so we’re proud of the position we’re in as, I would say, a co-leader in the sport. There’s so much more room for growth, and why we exist is to expand the sport, grow the sport, create a system in the sport that’s lacking around the world, and ultimately get fighters opportunity.

“That’s our focus. And fans, all they want is great fighters and great fights. We do it with purpose as it relates to growing the sport, professionalizing the sport. I’m not about talking about the other guy. We’re focused on what we’re building, and I think the fans are really excited about it. We’re in growth mode and major growth underway, particularly internationally. We’re going to be making announcements, how we’re going to be expanding in the Middle East. Obviously we’re staging first-ever professional global MMA events in Africa with the launch of PFL Africa, and then PFL Australia will also be launched.”

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

Tom Aspinall: Tough to call Francis Ngannou best heavyweight when Renan Ferreira is ‘not elite’

Francis Ngannou left the UFC as heavyweight champion, but Tom Aspinall says PFL competition doesn’t help his case.

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] argues that the best heavyweight in the world is in the UFC.

When asked his thoughts on [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] calling himself the No. 1 heavyweight, UFC interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) put an asterisk on his level of competition moving forward.

Former UFC champion Ngannou (17-3) takes on 2023 PFL champion [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (13-3) in the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event Saturday at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+ pay-per-view, DAZN).

The newly introduced superfights belt will be on the line, and their matchup is being advertised as a fight to crown the “Baddest Man on the Planet.” Aspinall questions the validity of that statement.

“I have a lot of respect for Francis,” Aspinall said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I have a lot of respect for him, and I really appreciate his story. I really appreciate what he’s done in the sport, but it’s hard to debate right now. The guy he’s fighting, he’s not elite. Do you know what I mean? And the guys he’ll be fighting in the future aren’t elite, and it’s as simple as that. These aren’t the best guys in the world. The guy he’s fighting fought a friend of mine and a training partner of mine, Ante Delija (two years ago), and Ante just destroyed him within a minute or two. Took him down, ground and pounded him and stopped him within the first minute, and now this guy’s fighting Francis Ngannou.

“So, the guy isn’t elite, his opponent. Yeah, he’s big. Yeah, he’s powerful. Yeah, he could knock you out, but he’s not an elite heavyweight. I’m not disrespecting him. The elite guys are not in the PFL. The elite guys are in the UFC. It’s difficult to say that (Ngannou) is the best heavyweight in the world when he isn’t fighting elite guys right now.”

Aspinall confirmed that he will weigh in as a backup for the heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, which headlines UFC 309 Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

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

NFL legend Ray Lewis to attend PFL: Battle of the Giants, address fighters before event

In the PFL’s efforts to ensure Battle of the Giants delivers action as promised, the promotion is turning to a Hall of Fame NFL linebacker.

In the PFL’s efforts to ensure this Saturday’s super fights pay-per-view event delivers action as promised, the promotion is turning to a Pro Football Hall of Famer for a bit of an assist.

PFL CEO Peter Murray recently told MMA Junkie Radio that Super Bowl-winning linebacker Ray Lewis, who played for the Baltimore Ravens from 1996 to 2012, will attend PFL: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Prior to the event headlined by the heavyweight showdown between [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag], Lewis will address the fighters backstage in hopes of preparing them for the moment.

“We do have something special in store for this fight, an athlete who knows a lot about pressure and a lot about locker room and getting prepared, the moment – and that’s Ray Lewis,” Murray said. “NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, Ray’s part of our athlete advisory board, so Ray’s gonna go behind the scenes and give the fighters, alongside Ray Sefo and Mike (Kogan), a bit of a pep talk from the heart.

“This is not an interview. They’ve got to go out and do their jobs. They’ve earned that right. It’s a global stage, everyone’s watching, and these are the fights that make champions and legacy. It’s all on the line, and Ray Lewis will bring it from the heart.”

Lewis, 49, has been head of the PFL’s athlete advisory board since 2021.

In addition to Ngannou’s highly anticipated return to MMA against Ferreira, PFL: Battle of the Giants will also feature a showdown between Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg and reigning PFL champ Larissa Pacheco in the co-main event. A Bellator middleweight title-fight rematch between champ Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards is also featured on the main card.

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

Raufeon Stots calls fight with Marcos Breno the ‘Temu version’ of Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Raufeon Stots expects his fight with Marcos Breno to serve as an appetizer for the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event.

[autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] expects his fight with [autotag]Marcos Breno[/autotag] to serve as an appetizer for the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event.

Bantamweights Stots (20-2) and Breno (15-3) throw down in Saturday’s featured prelim at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the main card on ESPN+/DAZN pay-per-view.

Having fought the likes of Patchy Mix, Danny Sabatello, and Juan Archuleta, Breno is a far less notable name for Stots. However, the 35-year-old is fully aware of the scenario that could play out, so he won’t underestimate him.

“I think he sees this as a big opportunity to make a name for himself right away and to erase that stink from his last performance off,” Stots told MMA Junkie Radio on Breno. “I think the trash talk kind of got the best of him this last fight, so I think he’s going to come in guns blazing. He’s got power in his hands. He’s a Brazilian (jiu-jitsu) black belt. He’s just a guy that hasn’t been around as long.”

Stots thinks his fight with Breno is the featured prelim for a reason. He plans on getting the fans excited for the main card, and give them a small preview of the night’s main event between [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag].

“If you look at the fight, the fight is kind of a Temu version of the main event fight with Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira,” Stots said. “I’m a veteran African like Francis, and he’s a young, powerhouse Brazilian.

“So I think that’s why they wanted me on that featured prelim. They wanted me to showcase and get the people interested and be like, ‘It’s going to be a big barnburner.’ They’re the big giants, we’re the little giants.”

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

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Francis Ngannou’s PFL debut, UFC 310, Topuria-Holloway heats up

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.

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