Tag: PFL News (Professional Fighters League)

Breaking – Francis Ngannou set to make PFL debut against Ryan Bader – Renan Ferreira winner later this year

Francis Ngannou set to make PFL debut against Ryan Bader - Renan Ferreira winner later this yearFormer undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou is slated to make his first walk in mixed martial arts later…

Francis Ngannou set to make PFL debut against Ryan Bader - Renan Ferreira winner later this year

Former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou is slated to make his first walk in mixed martial arts later this year, as well as his first outing under the banner of the PFL (Professional Fighters League) since last year’s signing, with a bout against the victor of this weekend’s superfight between Ryan Bader and Renan Ferreira set to meet the Cameroonian.

Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the Dana White-led UFC banner, is also set to make his sophomore outing in the boxing ring next month in a return to the Middle East, taking on former two-time heavyweight titleholder, Anthony Joshua in the pair’s Saudi Arabia showdown.

The outing will mark Francis Ngannou’s return to competition, following a decision loss to unbeaten WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury back in August of last year – with the former managing to even score devastating knockdown on the Morecambe native early into the 12 round back-and-forth. 

Francis Ngannou is in line for his PFL bow

And with speculation continually mounting regarding Ngannou’s first outing under the Peter Murray-led PFL banner, confirmation from the organization tonight has revealed the Batié knockout artist will take on either Bader or the aforenoted, Ferreira – with the duo squaring off in a monstrous heavyweight title fight at a Bellator MMA vs. PFL event. 

“BREAKING NEWS: HEAVY STAKES for Saturday Night,” PFL posted on their official X account. “@Francis_Ngannou will face the winner of the Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader bout. #PFLvsBellator”

Yet to feature in mixed martial arts since UFC 270 back in January 2022, Ngannou most recently successfully unified the promotion’s titles with a heavyweight win over the then-unbeaten, Ciryl Gane in a decision victory over the former interim champion. 

Ngannou would depart the promotion in January of last year, before inking a multi-year deal with the PFL. 

Do you expect Francis Ngannou to land similar successes in the PFL?

Bellator MMA champion Johnny Eblen spends 85k on OnlyFans model Jessenia Rebecca ahead of PFL debut

Johnny EblenDays away from his highly anticipated return to the cage, Johnny Eblen went on an extravagant shopping spree with…

Johnny Eblen

Days away from his highly anticipated return to the cage, Johnny Eblen went on an extravagant shopping spree with Jessenia Rebecca — a popular OnlyFans model with nearly two million followers on Instagram.

According to a report from TMZ, the undefeated Bellator middleweight champion dropped a whopping $85,000 during their expensive outing, spending $30,000 at Alex The Jeweler, $25,000 at Dior, and another $30,000 at Louis Vuitton. Interestingly, the pair are not even dating, though Eblen is said to be in an open relationship with another woman.

Johnny Eblen Makes His PFL Debut on February 24

On February 24, Eblen will feature on the PFL vs. Bellator card emanating from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Dubbed ‘The Battle of Champions,’ Eblen is scheduled to face the 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament winner, Impa Kasanganay, in the co-main event of the evening.

“I’m on a different level,” Eblen told Sports Illustrated while discussing his impending clash with Kasanganay. “At the same time, any grown man with some technique can knock you out. If I’m not on point, I’ll f*cking lose this fight. So I’m not taking any shortcuts. That mentality is going to show how I’m on a different level than him.”

With his existing contract set to expire in the fall of 2025, Eblen plans to test out free agency.

“I plan to test free agency and see what’s out there,” Eblen revealed. “We’ll see how everything plays out. I know I can beat every single middleweight. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to get in the cage with everyone I want to fight. I really want to put myself out there and test myself.”

Eblen makes his PFL debut with an unblemished record of 14-0, including wins over Gegard Mousasi, Anatoly Tokov, and Fabian Edwards in his last three outings.

PFL-Star Cedric Doumbe scoffs at potential return to the UFC after initial snub: ‘I’m better off here’

Cedric Doumbe rules out future move to the UFC after initial snub I'm better off with the PFLEarlier this week, the UFC snapped up PFL (Professional Fighters League) star, Kayla Harrison to a stunning Octagon debut…

Cedric Doumbe rules out future move to the UFC after initial snub I'm better off with the PFL

Earlier this week, the UFC snapped up PFL (Professional Fighters League) star, Kayla Harrison to a stunning Octagon debut in April, however, it appears upcoming French star, Cedric Doumbe won’t be following in the Olympian’s footsteps and penning a deal with the Dana White-led promotion – again.

Doumbe, a former GLORY Kickboxing champion at the welterweight limit twice, is slated to make his sophomore PFL debut at PFl 7 in March in the Peter Murray-led promotion’s return to Paris, France.

Taking on the unbeaten prospect, Baissangour Chamsoudinov, Doumbe will attempt to turn in his second consecutive victory since his move to the promotion, following a stunning 9-second KO win over Jordan Zebo in a Knockout of the Year contender last September – in front of French World Cup winner, Kylian Mbappe. 

Cedric Doumbe unsure of future UFC move

Released from a penned deal with the UFC following the cancellation of an Octagon debut against Darian Weeks at a ‘Fight Night’ event billed for Paris back in 2022, Doumbe, who has been tipped to eventually make the transition to the Octagon, has shot down the idea of signing a deal once more.

“That makes me smile because they [the UFC] f*cked up,” Cedric Doumbe told MMA Fighting. “They f*cked up, but I didn’t lose anything. They lost. So, it is what it is, you know? Everything happens for a reason. I’m just doing my thing. I know I would do the same, maybe even better, maybe less in UFC, but I’m just doing my thing. Some people say that, ‘You will never have done that (walkout) with the mattress in the UFC. They will never let you do this.’ So, I’m better here [in the PFL].”

“We never know for tomorrow, but I think 90 percent, no,” Cedric Doumbe said of his chances of signing with the UFC in the future. “90 percent no. Because I’m not 20 [years old]. I’m not 21. I’m not that younger fighter. So, I think I’m more close to the end than the beginning, so I think I will not open the UFC door again. But, we never know.” 

Would you like to see Cedric Doumbe eventually make a UFC move?

PFL x Bellator Supercard Officially Set for February 24 in Riyadh Featuring Four Champion vs. Champion Fights

PFL x Bellator supercardThe PFL x Bellator supercard is officially set for February 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A few short months…

PFL x Bellator supercard

The PFL x Bellator supercard is officially set for February 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A few short months after the Professional Fighter League’s blockbuster announcement that it had acquired Bellator MMA, we now know when and where the highly anticipated event featuring PFL champions vs. Bellator champions will go down. According to a report from Ariel Helwani, the event will emanate from the Saudi Arabian capital next month with a slew of exciting fights.

In the main event of the evening, 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira will take on Bellator MMA heavyweight titleholder Ryan ‘Darth’ Bader. In the co-main event, 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay will face Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen in a 185-pound fight.

Also announced for the main card is 2023 PFL featherweight champion Jesus Pinedo who will face Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull, and 2023 PFL welterweight champion Magomed Magomedkerimov will square off with Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson.

Rounding out the card will be a series of can’t-miss clashes, including former PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza vs. Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov in a heavyweight bout. Clay Collard vs. A.J. McKee will go down in a lightweight scrap and fight fans will also be treated to a heavy-hitting affair as Thiago Santos meets Yoel Romero.

Also expected to feature on the card will be the return of women’s boxing ‘GWOAT’ Claressa Shields, and the pro mixed martial arts debut of Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Biaggio Ali Walsh.

Check out the full fight card below:

PFL vs. Bellator Main card (ESPN+ PPV at 3 p.m. ET):

  • Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader
  • Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Jason Jackson
  • Jesus Pinedo vs. Patricio Pitbull
  • Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov
  • Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero
  • Clay Collard vs. AJ McKee

Prelims (ESPN News/ESPN+ at 12:30 p.m. ET):

  • Gabriel Braga vs. Aaron Pico
  • Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Chris Morris
  • Claressa Shields vs. Kelsey DeSantis
  • Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Edukondal Rao
  • Malik Basahel vs. Vinicius Pereira

As always, the card is subject to change.

Exclusive – Luke Thomas insists ‘It’s Not Possible’ for PFL to compete with the UFC: ‘It Cannot Be Done’

Luke Thomas on PFL vs. UFCLuke Thomas doesn’t see any possible way for the PFL to compete with the UFC. 2023 was a fairly…

Luke Thomas on PFL vs. UFC

Luke Thomas doesn’t see any possible way for the PFL to compete with the UFC.

2023 was a fairly big year for the Professional Fighters League. The promotion made headlines when they announced their blockbuster signing of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. In addition, the PFL inked a deal with social media star Jake Paul and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund acquired a minority stake in the promotion.

Of course, the biggest bit of PFL news came when founder Donn Davis revealed that they had acquired Bellator MMA and all the talent signed to the Scott Coker-led fight company.

Speaking with Mike Owens in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Morning Kombat’s Luke Thomas suggested that all of these big-money moves could translate to success in the new year, but believes the PFL’s biggest obstacle will be getting eyes on their product and fans in the arena, particularly stateside.

“I think there’s a lot of potential. We don’t really know if Francis is gonna fight in MMA in 2024,” Thomas said. “I tend to think he probably doesn’t, but even if he ends up fighting a nobody, that’s still better than what the PFL has. Obviously, it’d be better if they had a second name. It takes two names to promote a pay-per-view and they don’t have that right now, but something that could potentially be great for them is Jake Paul fighting on that card against somebody that people care about like Dillon Danis. That could be potentially big for them.

“Putting together some kind of event where they could pull 10,000 or 20,000 people. They pulled 20,000 when they went to France. They’ve pulled good cards when they went to the 3Arena [in Dublin], but in the United States, I went to one in my hometown, Washington D.C. and they had less than 3,000. And they were pretty happy with that. It’s tough to draw here.

“If they can solve that problem, that would be great. If they can get their numbers solidly above 400,000 viewers… They typically hover at 300,000 or below and sometimes below 200,000. That has to categorically change.”

Luke Thomas Believes ‘Pure Luck’ is the only thing that will help the PFL

Following the announcement of PFL’s purchase of Bellator, Donn Davis suggested that his promotion will eventually be a co-leader in the world of MMA, sharing the throne that the UFC currently occupies all by its lonesome.

Aside from a few extenuating circumstances, Thomas doesn’t see any future where the PFL can stand side-by-side with the UFC, let alone compete with the Las Vegas-based juggernaut.

“It is not possible for the PFL to compete with the UFC,” Thomas continued. “It is actually in the real world, not possible. It cannot be done. There is nothing that they can do to bridge that gap. So when we’re talking about a successful 2024 for them, I think getting a little bit of luck. Somebody defecting inside the ranks of the UFC. That would be just pure luck. That would be good.

“The court case, the antitrust case [against the UFC], if that ends up having an effect, and of course, there could be challenges to any kind of verdict that goes against the UFC, but nevertheless, opening up that possibility of what that could mean. There’s just a lot of ways that… Here’s the reality, folks. Unless the United States Congress gets involved by passing the Muhammad Ali Act to MMA, or this antitrust case really railroads the UFC, or there is some kind of internal scandal that just makes the UFC collapse overnight, there is nothing that PFL, Bellator, ONE, or any other competitor out there can do to actually compete with the UFC.”

Thomas hopes that the PFL can continue to grow and show signs of further success in 2024, even it if means only being a distant second to the empire that Dana White has helped build.

“I hope PFL has a great 2024. They could have a much better 2024 than 2023 and 2023 was a good year for them, all things being what they were, but ultimately, I am telling you how this movie ends,” he concluded.

Watch the full exclusive interview with Luke Thomas:

Prospect of the Year – LowKick MMA 2023 Awards

Prospect of the Year LowKick MMA 2023 awards UFCThis year has seen the emergence of a slew of contenders across the board and multiple divisions in the…

Prospect of the Year LowKick MMA 2023 awards UFC

This year has seen the emergence of a slew of contenders across the board and multiple divisions in the UFC — from almost top-to-bottom.

From the likes of unbeaten starlet, Bo Nickal, to Japanese up and comer, Tatsuro Taira, an even PFL prospect, Dakota Ditcheva, the above trio have stood out leaps and bounds ahead of the rest in terms for bang for your buck for their respective organizations — with each possessing massive career ceilings by the looks of things. However, as far as standouts are concerned, amateur wrestling phenom, Bo Nickal has received the majority of votes by staff at LowKick MMA — crowning him as our Prospect of the Year for 2023.

Prospect of the Year – Bo Nickal – UFC – 2-0-0 (5 votes)

Reveared ahead of his eventual move to the UFC following a pair of bouts on Dana White’s Contender Series, Colorado-born grappling ace, Bo Nickal has already received billing as a surefire top-contender at the middleweight limit in the future — if not a future gold holder.

Nickal, 27, improved his unbeaten professional record to first 4-0 then 5-0 by the end of the summer, landing consecutive victories by submission over Jamie Pickett, and then Val Woodburn with a hasty first round knockout, respectively.

Booked to make his third appearance in the Octagon next year, Nickal returns at a monumental UFC 300 card next April, taking on Cody Brundage.

Honorable Mentions –

Shavkat Rakhmonov – UFC – 2-0-0 (1 vote)

Likely just making the cut-off point to be considering an out-and-out prospect — unbeaten Uzbekistan finishing machine, Shavkat Rakhmonov demonstrated why many have tipped him to win welterweight gold before the end of next year — laying waste to perennial contender, Stephen Thompson in one-sided fashion last weekend.

The 18-0 fighter landed his whopping eighteenth consecutive stoppage win at UFC 296 earlier this month with his second round rear-naked choke win over Thompson, having stopped Geoff Neal with a brutal third round standing rear-naked choke back in March.

Earning the number three rank with his win over Thompson, Rakhmonov has been touted to challenge Leon Edwards for welterweight gold potentially as soon as his next outing.

Tatsuro Taira – UFC – 3-0-0 (1 vote)

Turning in an unbeaten three-fight tenure in the UFC this year, surging Japanese prospect, Tatusro Taira ended the year with a top-15 cracking display against Carlos Hernandez at the beginning of the month, landing in the ranks at the flyweight limit — as well as improving to 15-0 as a professional. This year alone, Taira, 23, has beaten the aforenoted, Hernandez to go with a win over Edgar Chairez, and Jesus Santos Aguilar.

Dakota Ditcheva – PFL – 3-0-0 (1 vote)

British flyweight striker, Dakota Ditcheva not only brought an end to her 2023 schedule boasting an impressive 10-0 undefeated record, but also landed the PFL (Professional Fighters League) Europe flyweight tournament success at the flyweight limit, amid a run of three consecutive finishes.

Ditcheva, 25, has been revered for her impressive striking ability, landing eight career stoppages via knockout so far — the most recent of which in her TKO success against Valentina Scattizi in Dublin earlier this month — minting herself as the PFL flyweight champion of Europe.

Full list of the LowKick MMA 2023 Prospect of the Year votes:

Ross Markey: Bo Nickal

Ian Shutts: Bo Nickal

Craig Pekios: Bo Nickal

Makoa Goble: Shavkat Rakhmonov

Tony King: Bo Nickal

Red Pill MMA: Bo Nickal

Michael Owens: Dakota Ditcheva

Danny Podolsky: Tatsuro Taira