Tag: Renan Ferreira

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Oct. 22: Francis Ngannou claims heavyweight throne

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC Fight Night 245.

PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC Fight Night 245 each had their impacts on divisional rankings.

In PFL’s main event, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], who never lost his title, returned to MMA and took out [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in short order with a brutal knockout.

As a result Ngannou shifts into the No. 1 heavyweight slot. He was previously at No. 2. He also moves into No. 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Also, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] took once step closer to middleweight title contention as he dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] before a late-fight TKO finish.

Hernandez enters the rankings at No. 13.

Across the two cards, [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag], Raufeon Stots, Asu Almabayev, and Charles Johnson also picked up impactful victories. Each resulted in a bump-up in the rankings.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

Video: Now back in MMA, is Francis Ngannou the best heavyweight today?

Francis Ngannou certainly made a statement in his return to MMA at PFL: Battle of the Giants. We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] reminded the MMA world he’s still a dangerous man.

After more than two years away from the sport, the former UFC heavyweight champion returned to the cage this past Saturday in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants, where he stopped [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the first round of their contest. Remember, although out of the UFC, Ngannou left as champion. His successful comeback certainly makes things interesting, not only for the PFL, but for the heavyweight landscape in general.

So, is it safe to say that Ngannou is still the beat heavyweight in MMA today? What should be next for him?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George react to Ngannou’s big win in his PFL debut.  

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

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https://youtube.com/live/cbzHrkO75mA

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Francis Ngannou dominates, UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway preview, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Francis Ngannou’s successful MMA, the upcoming UFC 308 event, 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, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] reminded the MMA world why he’s one of the most terrifying fighters to ever set foot in the cage. This past Saturday, the former UFC heavyweight champion viciously stopped [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia. It was a big win that shook up the heavyweight landscape. Now that he’s back in MMA, can we say Ngannou remains the “Baddest Man on the Planet”? What should be next for Ngannou? We discuss.
  • Ngannou’s TKO win wasn’t the only thing that made headlines at PFL: Battle of the Giants. Women’s MMA legend [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] picked up a decision win over former PFL champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] defended his Bellator belt in a rematch against [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag], and [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] pulled off an upset by defeating [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag], among other things. We react to some of the key results on PFL’s pay-per-view event.
  • Over in the UFC side of things, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245. It was a big win that put Hernandez on a six-fight winning streak, with five of those coming by stoppage. Is Hernandez a serious threat to the middleweight title? Where does Pereira go from here? We dissect the main event of UFC Fight Night 245.
  • Finally, it’s UFC 308 fight week. That’s right, in just a few days time, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] will defend his UFC featherweight title against [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] Preview in an extremely highly-anticipated matchup. There’s a lot on the line here. Could Topuria steal Fighter of the Year with a win over Holloway? Could a win cement Holloway as the greatest to ever do it at featherweight? We break down this championship fight along with other bog bouts in the card, including [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

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PFL’s Renan Ferreira releases statement on TKO loss to Francis Ngannou: ‘Life goes on, we’ll be back’

Renan Ferreira reacts to his TKO loss to Francis Ngannou in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants.

[autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] is staying positive despite coming up short in the biggest bout of his career.

The 2023 PFL heavyweight champion suffered a first-round TKO to former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants – which went down on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Ferreira (13-4) gave all the credit to Ngannou (18-3), and assures he’ll come back stronger from this defeat.

“Hey guys, Renan ‘Problema’ here, a bit broken,” Ferreira said in Portuguese on his Instagram Stories. “Yesterday wasn’t a good day at work, guys, but I’m very happy with all our dedication and everything that developed through our work. I’ve always had the mindset of never losing, for myself, to fight any lack of dedication and commitment, and thank God I have a clean conscience. I worked very hard there, showed up well to the fight, and was happy to return.

“Unfortunately, my opponent was superior. He managed to impose a game where that I couldn’t defend the takedowns, which led to very hard ground-and-pound to get through. And that’s it, life goes on, we’ll be back. I want to thank everyone for all the love and support, we’re always together. Hugs.”

With the defeat, Ferreira saw his four-fight winning streak come to an end. He entered PFL: Battle of the Giants off his best career stretch, as he had knockout wins over Matheus Scheffel, Maurice Greene, Denis Goltsov, and Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.

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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 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.

PFL: Battle of the Giants watch-along and prelims live stream with MMA Junkie Radio

Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of PFL: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh.

PFL: Battle of the Giants goes down Saturday with three title fights atop the bill, including the return of one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live-streamed watch-along right here at 1:30 p.m. ET. 

In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] makes his highly anticipated return to the sport against 2023 PFL season winner [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag]. And in the co-main event, Bellator women’s featherweight champ [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] meets two-time PFL champ [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag]. At stake in both bouts are the first PFL Super Fights title belts.

Also featured on the card is a Bellator middleweight title-fight rematch between champ [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] and [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag]. Eblen won their first fight in September 2023.

PFL: Battle of the Giants takes place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, with a main card that streams on pay-per-view (ESPN+, DAZN). As part of the watch-along, the full preliminary card will stream in the video above. 

Below is the complete PFL: Battle of the Giants lineup:

PFL: Battle of the Giants main card

  • Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira – for heavyweight super fights title
  • Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco – for women’s featherweight super fights title
  • Champ Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards – for Bellator middleweight title
  • Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar Mohsen
  • A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes

PFL: Battle of the Giants preliminary card

  • Marcos Breno vs. Raufeon Stots
  • Dedrek Sanders vs. Makkasharip Zaynukov
  • Nacho Campos vs. Ibragim Ibragimov
  • Taha Bendaoud vs. Tariq Ismail

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

When does Francis Ngannou fight? Walkout time for PFL: Battle of the Giants headliner vs. Renan Ferreira

Here’s when to expect Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira to make their cage walks at PFL: Battle of the Giants.

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] will finally make his highly anticipated return to mixed martial arts against [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag]. This heavyweight bout scheduled for five rounds is taking place Saturday, Oct. 19 at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou (17-3) and Ferreira (13-3) headline PFL: Battle of the Giants with the promotion’s super fights heavyweight title belt at stake.

Ngannou, 38, hasn’t competed in MMA since successfully defending the UFC heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane on January 22, 2022, which would turn out to be his final fight with the UFC. Roughly one year later, Ngannou left the UFC to sign with the PFL, which granted him permission to pursue his desire to compete in boxing.

Ngannou fought Tyson Fury and lost a split decision after stunningly knocking down boxing’s heavyweight king in October 2023. Ngannou followed up that sterling performance by taking on Anthony Joshua this past March, a fight in which he was dominated and lost by second-round knockout. That result signaled his time to return to MMA, where he’s won six fights in a row dating back to November 2018, with five finishes during that span.

Ferreira, 34, is the reigning 2023 PFL heavyweight champion after scoring three knockouts last season. Ferreira is coming off a 21-second dismantling of Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader this past February.

When does PFL: Battle of the Giants fight card start?

  • The PFL: Battle of the Giants lineup consists of nine fights, with prelims starting at 1:30 p.m. ET and the pay-per-view main card at 4 p.m. ET.

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira walkout time

  • As the main event, Ngannou and Ferreira are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 7 p.m. ET.
  • The fight will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view in the U.S. and DAZN pay-per-view internationally.

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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 cold open touts Ngannou vs. Ferreira as ‘the biggest heavyweight fight of our time’

Watch the PFL: Battle of the Giants cold open with behemoths Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira, who clash Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

“The biggest heavyweight fight of our time.”

That’s what the man voicing over the PFL: Battle of the Giants cold open says of the highly anticipated showdown between [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag].

Hyperbole aside, it could be the biggest MMA fight of the year as it marks Ngannou’s highly anticipated return to the sport. The former UFC heavyweight champion hasn’t competed in the cage in nearly 1,000 days. One year after his last UFC fight, he decided to leave as the promotion’s heavyweight champion to sign with the PFL.

Now, after two high-profile boxing matches with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Ngannou will be welcomed back by Ferreira, the 2023 PFL season winner who’s emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

The magnitude and scope of Ngannou vs. Ferreira is underscored in the cold open, which you can watch in the video above.

PFL: Battle of the Giants takes place Saturday at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event’s main card streams on ESPN+ and DAZN pay-per-view, with prelims available during MMA Junkie’s watch-along.

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

Video: PFL: Battle of the Giants ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs with three title fights, McKee vs. Hughes, more

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.

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

PFL faceoff video: Francis Ngannou, Renan Ferreira literally go head to head for intense moment

Massive heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira provided a final stunning faceoff before their PFL title fight.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – There are few matchups in MMA that can provide a more stunning visual than [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag], and that was on display for the final time Friday ahead of the pair battling in the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event.

Ngannou (17-3) and Ferreira (13-3) got a final look at each other at ceremonial weigh-ins with an intense staredown in which they literally went head to head. The scene sets the stage for their inaugural PFL heavyweight super fight title clash at The Mayadeen (ESPN+ pay-per-view, DAZN).

It will be former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou’s first MMA fight since January 2022 as he returns in a new promotion against 2023 season champion Ferreira, who is fresh off a 21-second knockout of Ryan Bader in February.

Check out the video above to see Ngannou and Ferreira have their final faceoff at ceremonial weigh-ins.

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