Tag: Battle Of The Giants

‘Biggest Win Outside Of McGregor In Irish MMA History’ – Fans React As Paul Hughes Proves Himself Against AJ McKee On PFL PPV Card

Paul Hughes has now scored the biggest win of his career, edging out a decision over former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee to kick off the PFL Battle of the Giants main card. In the first round, McKee looked to land aggressively, landing kicks and trying to control the fight by pushing Hughes to the […]

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Paul Hughes has now scored the biggest win of his career, edging out a decision over former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee to kick off the PFL Battle of the Giants main card.

In the first round, McKee looked to land aggressively, landing kicks and trying to control the fight by pushing Hughes to the fence. The Irishman responded well with strong strikes, however, including a big knee and punches in a scramble.

McKee attempted to take the fight to the ground, but Hughes defended well. The former Cage Warriors standout managed to drop the American right before the end of the first round, nearly finishing the fight there.

The fight remained competitive in the latter two rounds, though Hughes was putting up the stronger performance. “The Mercenary” looked to maintain his strategy of clinches and takedowns, looking to take the fight to the ground and keep it there. The Irish prospect, meanwhile, looked to use his hooks, combinations, and knees to keep McKee at bay, consistently looking to pressure until the final bell.

All three judges gave 29-28 scores, with two of them in Hughes’ favor, giving him the split decision win in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Paul Hughes Scores Major Decision Victory Over AJ McKee On PFL PPV card

Hughes, the former Cage Warriors champion who has won all but one of his MMA fights, entered this fight off a successful Bellator debut against Bobby King this past June.

McKee, meanwhile, saw a four-fight win streak snapped. He had entered this fight off a submission of Clay Collard at the PFL vs. Bellator pay-per-view card in February.

Continue Reading ‘Biggest Win Outside Of McGregor In Irish MMA History’ – Fans React As Paul Hughes Proves Himself Against AJ McKee On PFL PPV Card at MMA News.

PFL: Battle Of The Giants Results & Highlights: Francis Ngannou Batters Renan Ferreira

PFL Battle of the Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira took place on pay-per-view Saturday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action! The Professional Fighters League hosted its second PPV of the year at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the main attraction saw former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou make his […]

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PFL Battle of the Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira took place on pay-per-view Saturday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

The Professional Fighters League hosted its second PPV of the year at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the main attraction saw former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou make his long-awaited return to mixed martial arts.

Having not competed in the cage since a victory over Ciryl Gane in January 2022 — completing a pair of boxing matches opposite Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the period since — “The Predator” made an emphatic MMA comeback at the expense of last year’s PFL heavyweight title winner Renan Ferreira, whom he pummeled inside one round.

Setting the stage for the headliners was another Super Fights championship clash, with reigning Bellator featherweight queen Cris Cyborg debuting in the SmartCage opposite the PFL’s first two-weight champion, Larissa Pacheco. The 39-year-old legend continued to make history, capturing gold in a fifth major promotion by outpointing her fellow countrywoman.

Elsewhere, Bellator gold was on the line in the Middle East when middleweight champ Johnny Eblen ran it back with Fabian Edwards and the stakes were high when the massively touted Paul Hughes got a step up in competition against AJ McKee.

With the event concluded, see below for the full results, followed by all the highlights!

PFL Battle Of The Giants: Ngannou vs. Ferreira Results & Highlights

Main Card:

  • Heavyweight Superfight Championship: Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira via KO (ground punches): R1, 3:32
  • Women’s Featherweight Superfight Championship: Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
  • Bellator Middleweight Championship: Johnny Eblen def. Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
  • Featherweight: Zafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Lightweight: Paul Hughes def. AJ McKee via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Preliminary Card:

  • Bantamweight: Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno via submission (rear-naked choke): R3: 3:01
  • Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Featherweight: Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Featherweight: Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail via submission (triangle choke): R2, 3:51

Taha Bendaoud Def. Tariq Ismail

Ibragim Ibragimov Def. Nacho Campos

Makkasharip Zaynukov Def. Dedrek Sanders

Raufeon Stots Def. Marcos Breno

Paul Hughes Def. AJ McKee

Zafar Mohsen Def. Husein Kadimagomaev

Johnny Eblen Def. Fabian Edwards

Cris Cyborg Def. Larissa Pacheco

Francis Ngannou Def. Renan Ferreira

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PFL Battle Of The Giants: Ngannou vs. Ferreira Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

The PFL’s latest pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants takes place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 19, where the main attraction will see former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou […]

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The PFL’s latest pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants takes place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 19, where the main attraction will see former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou make his long-awaited return to mixed martial arts.

Having not competed in the cage since a victory over Ciryl Gane in January 2022 — completing a pair of boxing matches opposite Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the period since — “The Predator” will look to make an emphatic MMA comeback at the expense of last year’s PFL heavyweight title winner, Renan Ferreira.

Setting the stage for the headliners will be another Super Fights championship clash, with reigning Bellator featherweight queen Cris Cyborg debuting in the SmartCage opposite the PFL’s first two-weight champion, Larissa Pacheco.

Elsewhere, Bellator gold will be on the line in the Middle East when middleweight champ Johnny Eblen runs it back with Fabian Edwards and the stakes will be high when the massively touted Paul Hughes gets a step up in competition against AJ McKee.

Ahead of the event, all 18 fighters successfully made weight. With that, every fight has remained intact, and all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the PFL: Battle of the Giants ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a live stream via the official PFL YouTube channel below, commencing at 11:30 a.m. ET.

PFL Battle of the Giants Ceremonial Weigh-In Stream

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PFL Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Weigh-In Results

The PFL‘s “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results! Headlining in the Middle East will be former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, who returns to the cage following a memorable two-fight stint in the boxing realm. For his first taste of MMA […]

Continue Reading PFL Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Weigh-In Results at MMA News.

The PFL‘s “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

Headlining in the Middle East will be former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, who returns to the cage following a memorable two-fight stint in the boxing realm. For his first taste of MMA action since departing the UFC at the start of 2023, “The Predator” will battle Renan Ferreira for the PFL’s superfight heavyweight title.

The same stakes will also exist in the co-headliner as legend Cris Cyborg battles the PFL’s first two-weight title winner Larissa Pacheco for the featherweight belt, while Bellator gold will be on the line beforehand when Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards run it back.

Elsewhere, AJ McKee looks to stall the charge of Paul Hughes and the likes of Raufeon Stots and Ibragim Ibragimov hope to make the most of their positions on the major PPV card.

PFL Battle Of The Giants: Ngannou vs. Ferreira Weigh-In Results

The PFL’s “Battle of the Giants” event takes place on Saturday, October 19, at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main card begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

With that said, check out the full weigh-in results below!

Main Card:

  • Heavyweight Superfight Championship: Francis Ngannou (256.8lbs) vs. Renan Ferreira (261.5lbs)
  • Women’s Featherweight Superfight Championship: Cris Cyborg (144.5lbs) vs. Larissa Pacheco (144.1lbs)
  • Bellator Middleweight Championship: Johnny Eblen (184.7lbs) vs. Fabian Edwards (184.9lbs)
  • Featherweight: Husein Kadimagomaev (146lbs) vs. Zafar Mohsen (145.8lbs)
  • Lightweight: AJ McKee (155.8lbs) vs. Paul Hughes (155.8lbs)

Preliminary Card:

  • Bantamweight: Raufeon Stots (135.8lbs) vs. Marcos Breno (136lbs)
  • Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov (153.6lbs) vs. Dedrek Sanders (154.9lbs)
  • Featherweight: Ibragim Ibragimov (145.5lbs) vs. Nacho Campos (145.9lbs)
  • Featherweight: Tariq Ismail (145.1lbs) vs. Taha Bendaoud (145.5lbs)

Continue Reading PFL Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Weigh-In Results at MMA News.

PFL Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights & Faceoffs

We’re deep into fight week for the PFL’s second pay-per-view of the year, meaning it was recently time for the fighters set to be in action on October 19 to take to the stage and answer some questions. PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants takes place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this […]

Continue Reading PFL Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights & Faceoffs at MMA News.

We’re deep into fight week for the PFL’s second pay-per-view of the year, meaning it was recently time for the fighters set to be in action on October 19 to take to the stage and answer some questions.

PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants takes place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this Saturday, where the main attraction will see former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou make his long-awaited return to mixed martial arts.

Having not competed in the cage since a victory over Ciryl Gane in January 2022 — completing a pair of boxing matches opposite Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the period since — “The Predator” will look to make an emphatic MMA comeback at the expense of last year’s PFL heavyweight title winner, Renan Ferreira.

Setting the stage for the headliners will be another Super Fights championship clash, with reigning Bellator featherweight queen Cris Cyborg debuting in the SmartCage opposite the PFL’s first two-weight champion, Larissa Pacheco.

Elsewhere, Bellator gold will be on the line in the Middle East when middleweight champ Johnny Eblen runs it back with Fabian Edwards and the stakes will be high when the massively touted Paul Hughes gets a step up in competition against AJ McKee.

As is customary during major fight weeks, the athletes took to the stage on Thursday for the pre-fight press conference.

Check out a full replay of the presser below via the PFL’s official YouTube channel, followed by all the highlights and faceoffs.

PFL Battle Of The Giants: Ngannou vs. Ferreira Press Conference

PFL Battle Of The Giants Press Conference Highlights

PFL Battle Of The Giants Faceoffs

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UFC Veteran Skeptical Of Francis Ngannou’s Box Office Appeal For PFL

Francis Ngannou is poised to make his eagerly awaited PFL debut this Saturday after signing with the organization last year. He is set to face Renan Ferreira in a highly anticipated title bout for the heavyweight championship. This clash will headline the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants pay-perview, taking place at The Mayadeen […]

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Francis Ngannou is poised to make his eagerly awaited PFL debut this Saturday after signing with the organization last year. He is set to face Renan Ferreira in a highly anticipated title bout for the heavyweight championship.

This clash will headline the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants pay-perview, taking place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The former UFC heavyweight champion departed the promotion following his title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022, driven by his long-standing dream to compete in boxing. He faced former heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the ring, but his foray into boxing didn’t go as planned.

The matchup between Ngannou and Ferreira has become one of the most discussed fights of the year, as it marks the return of “The Predator” to the MMA cage after more than two years away. However, former UFC welterweight Matt Brown believes that Ngannou has yet to reach the level of stardom necessary to generate a significant pay-per-view draw for the PFL.

During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer (via MMAFighting), “The Immortal” remarked that while Ngannou’s boxing matches were hailed as marquee events due to his bouts with two of the biggest names in the sport, his upcoming PFL fight may struggle to gain similar traction, primarily because his opponent lacks widespread recognition.

“He’s not that big of a star,” Brown said. “We watched him fight Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury because of him fighting those guys. He’s not a Conor McGregor, and we’re just going to watch him no matter who he fights. Even if Conor fought some lower-level guy, there would be a drop-off in pay-per-views, right?He’s got to have a ‘B’ side also that’s a ‘B’ side. Francis is fighting a ‘D’ side here. It’s not a ‘B’ side. It’s a ‘D’ side, and Francis just isn’t big enough of an ‘A’ side to draw. We don’t know how much he’s getting paid, but if it’s the amounts we would guess, it’s not going to cover his expense, I don’t think.”

PFL CEO Peter Murray has confidently proclaimed that the Battle of the Giants card will outshine both UFC 300 and UFC 306 in terms of popularity, setting it up to be the year’s premier MMA event. However, fans will have to wait until the weekend to see if the Ngannou-headlined spectacle lives up to the hype.

Continue Reading UFC Veteran Skeptical Of Francis Ngannou’s Box Office Appeal For PFL at MMA News.