Tag: pfl

Conor McGregor Gives Mocking Review Of PFL’s Battle Of The Giants PPV: ‘UFC Has Zero Competition’ 

We can seemingly count Conor McGregor among those unimpressed by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and its latest pay-per-view offering. The PFL staged its second PPV of the year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this past weekend, with The Mayadeen playing host to a stacked lineup that included one Bellator title fight and the crowning of […]

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We can seemingly count Conor McGregor among those unimpressed by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and its latest pay-per-view offering.

The PFL staged its second PPV of the year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this past weekend, with The Mayadeen playing host to a stacked lineup that included one Bellator title fight and the crowning of two inaugural superfight champions.

In regard to the Bellator stakes, the middleweight belt remained in the possession of Johnny Eblen after he once again got the better of Fabian Edwards.

Following that contest, Cris Cyborg and Francis Ngannou emerged from the headliners with PFL gold in what marked their respective SmartCage debuts.

There’s little doubt that the thrilling co-main event and “The Predator’s” brutal knockout to close the show delivered the fireworks many had expected. But while McGregor had compliments for their performances, he was less positive when it came to the overall show.

The Irishman’s mockery began on the main card when he sarcastically talked over the grappling exchanges during Eblen’s wrestling-heavy win over Edwards.

“Wow!” McGregor exclaimed. “Oh my god! No! What the hell?! Wow. Oh my god! No way! F*ck off. This can’t be happening right now. He’s holding him! How’s he doing this? Oh my god! F*ck off.”

Though he ultimately laid praise on Cyborg’s triumph later in the night, he was at it again when the Brazilian held top position over Larissa Pacheco.

“Wow! This is f*cking excitement,” McGregor joked. “This is excitement.”

Both of those videos on X were deleted, as was a subsequent post that rejected the PFL’s chances of competing with the UFC.

“UFC has zero competition in MMA,” McGregor wrote.

Conor McGregor

Continue Reading Conor McGregor Gives Mocking Review Of PFL’s Battle Of The Giants PPV: ‘UFC Has Zero Competition’  at MMA News.

Paul Hughes wants Conor McGregor in his corner when he faces Usman Nurmagomedov “We’ll need more security” student of Khabib

Paul Hughes PFL Usman NurmagomedovIreland’s Paul Hughes got a huge win in the PFL debut as he took on the prodigy AJ McKee….

Paul Hughes PFL Usman Nurmagomedov

Ireland’s Paul Hughes got a huge win in the PFL debut as he took on the prodigy AJ McKee. Hughes was able to out-point his opponent with sharp counters and flying knees. After the victory, he wants the Bellator champion, and student of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov, but with Conor McGregor in his corner.

Paul Hughes wants Usman Nurmagomedov

The former Cage Warriors champion signed with the PFL looking to become a world champion in the organization. In his debut, he was able to defeat the top-ranked, and ultra-talented, AJ McKee via split decision. The Irish-born Paul Hughes was able to out-point his opponent in an impressive victory and showed off his striking acumen.

After the fight, he called out the Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov who is a long-time student, and cousin, of MMA legend, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Hughes is very likely to face Usman next with the title on the line and in that bout, Khabib will be in his corner. For that, Hughes has requested that Conor McGregor be in his corner for the match.

Paul Hughes PFL
2024 PFL Superfights PPV: Battle of the Giants at the Mayadeen Theater in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, October 19, 2024. (Jose Peñuela / 2024PFLPPV) Paul Hughes vs AJ McKee

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor had one of the most bitter rivalries in MMA history. Their blockbuster match for the UFC world title was a major event and one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport. Khabib won but then a brawl broke out after the match.

Paul Hughes wins in the PFL

Speaking to the media after his PFL win, Paul Hughes explained:

“Yeah, that’s obvious. [Usman Nurmagomedov] is what I want. I said I was here for the biggest fights, the highest-pressure moments, and to make the most money possible. Usman is next, no question. There’s a lot of hype around this fight, and I’m here for it.“

On potentially having Conor McGregor in his corner, he added:

“How crazy would that be? We might need some extra security that night, though. We’ll need more security! But I’m down for it. It’ll be fun.”

Discussing his victory over AJ McKee, Hughes said:

“When you’re in there, it’s sometimes hard to tell, but judging from the energy of the crowd and AJ’s face, it’s pretty clear I won. I smashed him, walked him down, and put punches on him. I hurt him so many times. I was close to knocking him out a few times, but I didn’t get him out of there. I’ll 100% get him next time.”

PFL Paul Hughes vs AJ McKee
Paul Hughes

Francis Ngannou “I’m confident in my wrestling” breaks down Renan Ferreira victory in the PFL

Francis Ngannou PFL RenanThe lineal MMA UFC world champion Francis Ngannou took on the PFL champion Renan Ferreira in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia….

Francis Ngannou PFL Renan

The lineal MMA UFC world champion Francis Ngannou took on the PFL champion Renan Ferreira in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A battle of two towering knockout strikers. The Cameroonian Ngannou took down Brazil’s Ferreira and knocked him out using ground and pound. With this, he captures the PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship.

Francis Ngannou talks Renan Ferreira

While speaking to the media after his main event victory in his PFL debut, the heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou explained his game plan against Renan Ferreira. He said:

Francis Ngannou PFL
Francis Ngannou

“Once I took him down, I started to see all of his movements. His positioning, his stance—I was able to break it down. From that point, it became more about holding on to the plan, but being flexible. The game plan isn’t like a strict road you have to follow. You can take a detour, find a shortcut if necessary. If something better presents itself, you take it.”

He added:

“I’m confident in my wrestling. My journey and experience have made me comfortable with it. I could’ve stayed standing, tried to figure out the striking game, but at the end of the day, it’s about winning. Even though he has good jiu-jitsu, I knew my wrestling was strong enough to control him and his ground positions.

Francis Ngannou PFL
Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou has been able to capture the UFC heavyweight world title and walked away from the organization vacating his crown but keeping the lineal championship. He took on champion boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in two major boxing matches. Now, the Cameroonian athlete has returned to MMA and picked up heavyweight gold in the PFL defeating a top-ranked dangerous opponent.

Francis Ngannou
2024 PFL Superfights PPV: Battle of the Giants at the Mayadeen Theater in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, October 19, 2024. (Jose Peñuela / 2024PFLPPV)

Francis Ngannou: “I don’t think even a lifetime would be enough to fully recover … You realize that toughness can only get you so far” talks son Kobe

Francis Ngannou PFLEarlier this year, Francis Ngannou’s one-year-old son Kobe tragically passed away. This was shortly after his knockout loss to…

Francis Ngannou PFL

Earlier this year, Francis Ngannou’s one-year-old son Kobe tragically passed away. This was shortly after his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in boxing. Stepping back into the MMA world and defeating Renan Ferreira for the PFL world title this past weekend helped the Cameroonian athlete. After his win, Ngannou spoke to the media about mental resistance.

Francis Ngannou Talks Toughness and Kobe

The Cameroonian-born athlete has always been strong, mentally and physically. He traversed Africa and was later arrested and homeless. Despite this, he still was able to become a UFC world champion and compete at the highest levels of professional boxing.

But nothing could have prepared him for the passing of his child. Toughness was no longer enough. Speaking to the media after his PFL championship victory, Francis Ngannou explained:

“I’ve been told I’m tough so many times that I started to believe it. But, you know, recently I realized maybe I’m not as tough as I thought. Life can put you in situations where you’re tested, and you realize that toughness can only get you so far. It’s something I never really imagined. I’ve seen people go through it, and I’ve felt compassion for them, but I never fully understood how hard it could be until I went through it myself. It’s tough.”

He continued:

“It’s one of those things where you wonder, “Is this ever going to be over?” And at some point, you start to think maybe it won’t. You just have to learn to roll with it, to live with it. In some situations, I’ve wanted to take time to breathe, but how long can you take? I don’t think even a lifetime would be enough to fully recover. So you just keep going. You accept this new way of living, and you move forward.”

After his first-round knockout victory in the PFL, Francis Ngannou was overcome with emotion with the memory of his son.

‘They Wanted Ferreira To Die In There’ – Fans & Fighters React As Francis Ngannou Lands Scary KO In MMA Return, PFL Debut

After everything that he has been through this year, Francis Ngannou’s MMA return was a triumphant one as he stopped Renan Ferreira in the first round. The main event of PFL Battle Of The Giants ended up on the ground early on after the former UFC champion secured the takedown. His Brazilian opponent was able […]

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After everything that he has been through this year, Francis Ngannou’s MMA return was a triumphant one as he stopped Renan Ferreira in the first round.

The main event of PFL Battle Of The Giants ended up on the ground early on after the former UFC champion secured the takedown.

His Brazilian opponent was able to threaten with a triangle choke, but once “The Predator” made his way out, he positioned himself to unload strikes.

Several unanswered ground and pound strikes — too many, in fact — laid Ferreira flat out on the canvas, leaving an emotional Ngannou to share a touching embrace with his coaches.

Ngannou spoke in his post-fight interview about how he was confident that he wouldn’t have lost a step during his time away but dealing with his emotions on fight week following the tragic passing of his son earlier this year was very difficult for him to overcome.

MMA Fans React To Successful MMA Return Of Francis Ngannou In PFL PPV Headliner

MMA fans and fighters on social media reacted to the emotional scenes as the Cameroonian did what he does best and delivered a scary knockout.

The post-fight comments also spoke about the stoppage of the fight, with Ferreira seemingly being knocked out only for him to be hit with several more big shots before referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in.

Continue Reading ‘They Wanted Ferreira To Die In There’ – Fans & Fighters React As Francis Ngannou Lands Scary KO In MMA Return, PFL Debut at MMA News.