Tag: pfl

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco – Odds and Match Preview

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa PachecoThe upcoming fight between Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco is set to be a major event in women’s MMA….

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco

The upcoming fight between Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco is set to be a major event in women’s MMA. Scheduled for October 19, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this co-main event fight is being billed as the “Battle of the Giants” alongside Francis Ngannou facing Renan Ferreira.

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco – Odds

Surprisingly, despite Cyborg’s legendary status in women’s MMA, she has opened as the betting underdog in this matchup. One can compare odds at Gamechampions right here. As of early October 2024, most bookmakers are favoring Larissa Pacheco to win the fight. The odds typically show Pacheco as a slight favorite, with her odds around -125, while Cyborg is listed as the underdog with odds of about +105.

These odds are particularly noteworthy because Cyborg has rarely if ever, been an underdog in her illustrious career. The fact that oddsmakers are giving Pacheco the edge speaks volumes about her recent performances.  

It also suggests that bookmakers believe Pacheco’s youth, recent success, and momentum might give her an advantage over the more experienced Cyborg. The close odds also indicate that bookmakers expect a competitive fight.

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco PFL
Photo By Tim Wheaton

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco

Cris Cyborg is a legendary figure in women’s MMA, having held championships in multiple major promotions including Strikeforce, Invicta, UFC, and Bellator. She’s known for her aggressive striking style, combining Muay Thai skills, and boxing. The vast majority of her career in MMA, Muay Thai, and Boxing have all been won by way of mostly knockout.

On the other side, Larissa Pacheco has made a name for herself in the PFL. She’s a two-division champion in PFL, having won both the lightweight and featherweight titles. Pacheco’s rise to prominence includes a notable victory over Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison, who is now a contender in the UFC.

For Pacheco, a win over Cris Cyborg could potentially elevate her into discussions of the greatest female fighters of all time. For Cyborg, who is currently the Bellator featherweight champion, this fight represents an opportunity to further cement her legacy by defeating a rising star in Pacheco.

Both fighters have been preparing intensively for this bout. Cris Cyborg has credited her recent boxing experience as beneficial in her preparation for Pacheco. Meanwhile, Pacheco has expressed her excitement for the opportunity, stating that this is “the most anticipated fight in women’s MMA history.”

This fight promises to be a clash of styles and generations. The outcome could have significant implications for both fighters’ legacies and the landscape of women’s MMA as a whole.

Francis Ngannou looks to “prove what I’m made of” in PFL Main Event against Renan Ferreira

Francis Ngannou PFLThe heavyweight king, Francis Ngannou is looking to get back in the win column in the PFL main event…

Francis Ngannou PFL

The heavyweight king, Francis Ngannou is looking to get back in the win column in the PFL main event on October 19. After being away from MMA for so long, and suffering a recent family tragedy, earning a victory is a needed target for the Cameroonian athlete.

Francis Ngannou Discusses PFL Champion Renan Ferreira

PFL Heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira will be entering the October 19 fight with a reach and height advantage. Trained under former UFC titleholder Junior dos Santos, the Brazilian Ferreira has an impressive 85% knockout win rate. Most recently, he is just coming off of a stunning 21-second knockout against Ryan Bader.

Francis Ngannou is a former UFC heavyweight champion who walked away from the organization. Since then, he has taken on two blockbuster boxing fights against champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The Cameroonian fighter suffered a brutal knockout loss to Joshua and then later tragically lost his son. Coming into this fight, he feels a fire burning.

During a PFL press conference hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Francis Ngannou explained:

“I think it’s going to be amazing. I wouldn’t call it a return to MMA, but it’s a big night for me to make a statement, to rediscover myself, and to prove what I’m made of. “

Let’s just say I’m going to fight strategically, you know, based on how the fight presents itself. In my career, I’ve only gone for a knockout once, and it didn’t work out for me. The other time I got a knockout in 25 seconds, it wasn’t something that was planned. So, I like to keep it authentic. I’m not planning on a 25-second finish or anything like that. I know I have 25 minutes, so I’ll lay my game plan out over those 25 minutes to win the fight.”

In an interview with Tim Wheaton of Low Kick MMA, Francis Ngannou added:

“I give credit to my hardships, my upbringing. The challenges I faced at a young age prepared me for life. Early on, I knew I was on my own and had to take care of everything myself. It was tough, but it prepared me for the future. Now, when things get tough, I know I’ll get through it. Everything in life comes and goes—nothing lasts forever. It’s about resilience. You’ve got to see beyond what’s in front of you because there’s always something better ahead.”

Francis Ngannou PFL
Photo By Tim Wheaton

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.

Former Champion Files Lawsuit Against PFL-Owned Bellator Shortly After His Release

Former Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi has filed a complaint against the promotion, and the PFL, after being released from his contract in May. The 39-year old was granted his release earlier this year after he spoke incredibly negatively of the promotion in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. In that interview, […]

Continue Reading Former Champion Files Lawsuit Against PFL-Owned Bellator Shortly After His Release at MMA News.

Former Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi has filed a complaint against the promotion, and the PFL, after being released from his contract in May.

The 39-year old was granted his release earlier this year after he spoke incredibly negatively of the promotion in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. In that interview, he said that if it was up to him, he would like to just leave and move on with his career but his team wanted to pursue legal action after the way he had been treated.

The breakdown in relationship between the two parties stems from Mousasi’s Bellator contract and the PFL being unhappy to honor it after they acquired the promotion and it’s roster last year. This is explained in the documents, including several interactions between Mousasi’s team and the PFL regarding his expensive contract.

This saga appeared to have come to an end when PFL’s Mike Kogan, who previously worked with Mousasi at Bellator, announced that he had been released, writing: “We wish him all the best fighting in his next chapter.”

However, as Mousasi stated back in May, his team wanted to progress things even further with John S. Nash reporting that the complaint alleges a breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, a claim for relief for Monopsonizaton.

The detailed complaint provides lots of information about Mousasi’s Bellator contract and how the PFL did not want to pay him that much money to fight considering that he wasn’t a champion or a PPV draw.

It also goes into the other issues, including a claim that Mousasi was misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an employee.

All of the information, including the conversation back and forth from Mousasi’s management and the PFL can be found via Nash’s X account below:

Continue Reading Former Champion Files Lawsuit Against PFL-Owned Bellator Shortly After His Release at MMA News.

Former Champion Files Lawsuit Against PFL-Owned Bellator Shortly After His Release

Former Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi has filed a complaint against the promotion, and the PFL, after being released from his contract in May. The 39-year old was granted his release earlier this year after he spoke incredibly negatively of the promotion in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. In that interview, […]

Continue Reading Former Champion Files Lawsuit Against PFL-Owned Bellator Shortly After His Release at MMA News.

Former Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi has filed a complaint against the promotion, and the PFL, after being released from his contract in May.

The 39-year old was granted his release earlier this year after he spoke incredibly negatively of the promotion in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. In that interview, he said that if it was up to him, he would like to just leave and move on with his career but his team wanted to pursue legal action after the way he had been treated.

The breakdown in relationship between the two parties stems from Mousasi’s Bellator contract and the PFL being unhappy to honor it after they acquired the promotion and it’s roster last year. This is explained in the documents, including several interactions between Mousasi’s team and the PFL regarding his expensive contract.

This saga appeared to have come to an end when PFL’s Mike Kogan, who previously worked with Mousasi at Bellator, announced that he had been released, writing: “We wish him all the best fighting in his next chapter.”

However, as Mousasi stated back in May, his team wanted to progress things even further with John S. Nash reporting that the complaint alleges a breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, a claim for relief for Monopsonizaton.

The detailed complaint provides lots of information about Mousasi’s Bellator contract and how the PFL did not want to pay him that much money to fight considering that he wasn’t a champion or a PPV draw.

It also goes into the other issues, including a claim that Mousasi was misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an employee.

All of the information, including the conversation back and forth from Mousasi’s management and the PFL can be found via Nash’s X account below:

Continue Reading Former Champion Files Lawsuit Against PFL-Owned Bellator Shortly After His Release 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

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