Tag: fabian edwards

‘Belal’d Leon Edwards’ Brother’ – Fans React As Johnny Eblen Retains Bellator Title At PFL Super Fights Event

Johnny Eblen retained the Bellator middleweight title at PFL‘s Battle Of The Giants pay-per-view by beating Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision. The champion was largely dominant throughout the first four rounds, consistently landing his takedowns without landing too much significant damage. Edwards tried to turn the tide in the fifth frame, which was by far […]

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Johnny Eblen retained the Bellator middleweight title at PFL‘s Battle Of The Giants pay-per-view by beating Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision.

The champion was largely dominant throughout the first four rounds, consistently landing his takedowns without landing too much significant damage.

Edwards tried to turn the tide in the fifth frame, which was by far his best of the fight as he kept the fight standing and put the pressure on the American, Unfortunately for him, it was too little, too late.

Eblen got the stoppage the first time they met in Dublin, and though he was unable to put Edwards away the second time around, the result wasn’t in doubt at the end of the five rounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

MMA Fans React To A Slow, Grueling Bellator Middleweight Title Rematch

MMA fans reacted on social media to the Eblen vs. Edwards rematch that took place as the first of three title fights on the PFL’s second PPV event of the year.

Many were critical of Eblen’s performance despite his dominant victory to retain the title. Others compared it to the manner in which Fabian’s brother, UFC star Leon Edwards, was dethroned by Belal Muhammad in Manchester this past July.

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Johnny Eblen remains unbeaten in Bellator title defense against Fabian Edwards

Johnny Eblen PFLWith the Bellator middleweight world title on the line, Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards threw down in a rematch…

Johnny Eblen PFL

With the Bellator middleweight world title on the line, Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards threw down in a rematch featured on the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants. Eblem was looking to remain unbeaten while Edwards was looking to avenge a prior loss.

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards

Early in round 1, the US-born wrestler Johnny Eblen was looking to establish range using his kicks to the head and body, Fabian Edwards was able to land sharp counters and get back to the center. A massive cross landed from Eblen sending Edwards reeling backwards and the two began to scramble in the clinch.

Half way through round 1, Eblen ducked and ran in for a takedown, picked up Edwards and slammed him three times in a row, and tripped him a fourth. But each time Edwards was able pop back to his feet.

Johnny Eblen Cris Cyborg
Photo By Tim Wheaton

A series of teep kicks from Fabian Edwards seemed to find a home in round 2. A counter rear cross landed on Eblen who then shot for a takedown against smart cage. With half guard locked in, Edwards worked back to his feet just for the US-born wrestler to slam him back down again.  Back on their feet, the Jamaican-English athlete was able to land some impressive flurries including an elbow against the Bellator middleweight champion.

Edwards seemed to find his range in round 3 landing sharp kicks to the leg and body of his opponent, while controlling the lead hand. His work paid off as he landed a sharp rear cross against Eblen to counter the champion’s jab.

Eblen ducked low and was able to secure a takedown half way through the round. After working back to his feet, Edwards for right to work landing kicks on his US-born opponent including a flying knee.

Early in round four, Eblen landed a rear hook that lit up the live audience in Saudi Arabia. Controlling the lead hand, Edwards slammed teep kicks agains the body of his opponent. After ducking under a punch, the US-based athlete secured a takedown and landed a few kneed and his opponent worked back to his feet.

After getting poked in the eye early in the fifth round, Eblen got aggressive landing a head kick and a cross before getting kicked in the groin. After a brief pause, Edwards was spearing with teep kicks to the body while Eblen swung for looking for a knockout. A body punch, to counter the jab, from Edwards seemed to have an effect on Eblen who began backing away. Edwards defended multiple takedown attempts and landed a combination against the unbeaten Eblen. The two middleweights traded elbows in the clinch and Edwards continued to attack the body.

After an exhausting five championship rounds, Johnny Eblen remains unbeaten and defends his Bellator middleweight title with a unanimous decision. 48-47 x3.

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards Highlights

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: 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 […]

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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.

Leon Edwards’ Brother On Loss To Belal Muhammad: ‘Always Had Unfair Situations Given To Him!’

Fabian Edwards believes his brother, former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, was made to defend his title in “unfair” conditions this past summer. After withstanding challenges from both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in 2023, Edwards returned for his first assignment of 2024 three months ago. “Rocky” was tasked with stalling the championship ambitions of […]

Continue Reading Leon Edwards’ Brother On Loss To Belal Muhammad: ‘Always Had Unfair Situations Given To Him!’ at MMA News.

Fabian Edwards believes his brother, former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, was made to defend his title in “unfair” conditions this past summer.

After withstanding challenges from both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in 2023, Edwards returned for his first assignment of 2024 three months ago.

“Rocky” was tasked with stalling the championship ambitions of Belal Muhammad on home soil, with their rematch headlining UFC 304 in Manchester, England this past July.

Edwards ultimately failed in that goal, with “Remember the Name” putting on a dominant display to extend his unbeaten run to 11 and ensure he exited the Co-op Live with the welterweight gold in his possession.

Fabian Edwards Laments Time For Brother’s UFC 304 Title Defense

During a recent interview with Bloody Elbow ahead of his own upcoming title fight, Fabian reflected on the end of his brother’s reign at the hands of Muhammad in Manchester.

The younger of the fighting siblings pointed to the 5 AM start time as a major factor in Leon’s defeat at UFC 304. The decision to keep timings on the US pay-per-view schedule is just the latest instance of “Rocky” being made to compete in “unfair situations,” according to Fabian.

“You know what it is? It was the time,” Fabian said. “I know everyone will say, ‘Oh, the time,’ or whatever, but most people couldn’t even stay awake until that time. So having to fight (for) a world title fight at that time? Come on. I’ve said it to everyone, how he performed in that fight was exactly how the last couple of weeks in training was. We were just like, putting it off because you do find things.

“That’s just the way it goes. Leon’s never had an easy path,” he continued. “Even once he became champion, he’s always had unfair situations given to him, but it is what it is. He will be back.”

It remains to be seen what lies next in the career of Leon Edwards, but he vowed to bounce back and “rise again” in his first post-fight remarks on social media.

For now, the UFC star will have his focus and energy on the exploits of his brother, as Fabian gets set for a second opportunity at dethroning Johnny Eblen in Saudi Arabia next weekend.

Continue Reading Leon Edwards’ Brother On Loss To Belal Muhammad: ‘Always Had Unfair Situations Given To Him!’ at MMA News.

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards 2 Rescheduled For PFL’s Battle Of The Giants

A huge rematch in Bellator’s middleweight division has been announced as the latest addition to the PFL’s Battle Of The Giants event on October 19. 185-pound champion Johnny Eblen was set to defend his title for a third time in a rematch with Fabian Edwards in London this past weekend. Unfortunately, the bout fell off […]

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A huge rematch in Bellator’s middleweight division has been announced as the latest addition to the PFL’s Battle Of The Giants event on October 19.

185-pound champion Johnny Eblen was set to defend his title for a third time in a rematch with Fabian Edwards in London this past weekend.

Unfortunately, the bout fell off the card with no reason being given, meaning that the latest instalment of the Bellator Champions Series went down without a title fight headliner.

The two men previously met back at Bellator 299 in September last year where Eblen retained the gold via a third round stoppage in Dublin, Ireland.

A win over Aaron Jeffery put Edwards back in the title picture for another chance to bring the Bellator belt back to Birmingham, England.

Eblen, on the other hand, remained undefeated in a tough fight with Impa Kasanganay earlier this year at the PFL vs. Bellator event in February.

As per the official press release, the fight will now take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on the same night as Francis Ngannou’s long awaited return to MMA.

He takes on PFL’s 2023 heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira with Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco serving as the co-main event for the debut of the PFL’s PPV Super Fights division.

Also announced for the card is Bellator star A.J. McKee, who takes on one of the PFL’s most exciting additions in recent times, Irish prospect Paul Hughes who will be facing his toughest test to date.

Read also: Brendan Schaub On UFC Show At ‘Rainforest Cafe’ Sphere: ‘Looks Great But The Product Is Sh*t’

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