Complete PFL Battle Of The Giants Fight Night Results
(Press Release)
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — Francis Ngannou is back and is the winner of the Battle of the Giants.
The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, hosted the return of “The Predator,” who viciously stopped his opponent Renan Ferreira by knockout in a little over three minutes to win the newly minted PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship Belt and reclaim his position atop the mountain in mixed martial arts. With the win, Ngannou immediately puts the combat sports world on notice that he remains a force to be reckoned with anytime he laces up the four-ounce PFL MMA gloves.
The co-main event of the evening saw the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all-time, Cris “Cyborg,” add to her already impressive resume with a unanimous decision victory over PFL two-division Champion Larissa Pacheco. By winning the PFL Super Fights Women’s Featherweight World Championship, “Cyborg” has now added her fifth different promotional belt to her trophy case. The loss snaps a ten-fight winning streak for Pacheco, while “Cyborg” has pushed her winning streak to eight bouts.
The Bellator Middleweight Championship was on the line in a rematch between undefeated champion Johnny Eblen and England’s Fabian Edwards. It was the world-class grappling of American Top Team’s Eblen that was the difference. The Kansas City-native scored numerous takedowns over the course of 25 minutes, earning a unanimous 48-47 decision despite a fifth round onslaught from Edwards.
Zafar Mohsen entered PFL’s SmartCage for the first time on Saturday as a major underdog for his Featherweight contest against Dagestan’s Husein Kadimagomaev, but it was the German athlete who emerged the favorite, sweeping the scorecards in a one-sided 30-27 unanimous decision victory. Mohsen has now pushed his current winning streak to four bouts.
Opening the PPV card of PFL Battle of the Giants, a highly anticipated Lightweight fight between former Bellator Featherweight Champion AJ McKee and surging Irish prospect Paul Hughes ended up being exactly what fight fans were expecting – a high-level, back-and-forth fight between two athletes with title aspirations. Both fighters had their moments, but in the end, two judges’ saw Belfast’s Hughes as the winner, moving him to 2-0 in PFL and putting “Big News” one step closer to a world title shot.
Professional Fighters League (PFL) in partnership with the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF), announced earlier today that the Championships for the 2024 PFL Global Season will take place on Friday, November 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event will air live in the U.S. on ESPN+ and additionally can be seen live on DAZN throughout Canada and Europe, with additional premium sports platforms hosting the events worldwide.
PFL Battle of the Giants Main Card Results:
Francis Ngannou (18-3) defeated Renan Ferreira (13-4, 3 NC) via KO (punches) at 3:32 of round one
Cris Cyborg (28-2, 1 NC) defeated Larissa Pacheco (23-5) via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Johnny Eblen (16-0) defeated Fabian Edwards (13-4) via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Zafar Mohsen (14-4) defeated Husein Kadimagomaev (11-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Paul Hughes (13-1) defeated AJ McKee (22-2) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Early Card Results:
Raufeon Stots (21-2) defeated Marcos Breno (13-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:01 at round three
Makkasharip Zaynukov (16-4) defeated Dedrek Sanders (9-5) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26. 30-26)
Ibragim Ibragimov (8-0) defeated Nacho Campos (5-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Taha Bendaoud (4-0) defeated Tariq Ismail (8-2) via submission (triangle choke) at 3:51 of round two
About Professional Fighters League
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA and the fastest-growing sports league world-wide. PFL has five live fight franchises, offering year-round content: PFL League Season, PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Challenger Series, PFL International Leagues, and Bellator. Founded in 2018, PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SURJ, Ares, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth sport business of this decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams.
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About Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation
The Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF) was officially established on 16/06/1493H (4 March 2018) with the aim of promoting and regulating mixed martial arts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since its inception, the federation has been working towards elevating the status of the sport locally and internationally. The federation has a clear strategic plan to enhance the quality and performance of athletes, support their participation in national and international competitions, and raise awareness about mixed martial arts among the general public.
About Ministry of Sport
The Saudi Ministry of Sport (MoS) is the primary authority responsible for regulating and developing the sports sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Established in 2020, the MoS strives to create a distinguished athletic environment, enhance the quality of sports facilities, and support the development of athletes and sports organisations. In collaboration with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the MoS oversees the activities of numerous national sports federations, committees, and associations, fostering excellence at both local and international levels. Through strategic initiatives, the MoS is committed to increasing sports participation, elevating competitive performance, and promoting the values of sportsmanship and physical activity throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the No. 1 sports streaming platform, serving fans in the U.S. with exclusive access to more than 32,000 live sports events each year, an unmatched library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content, and premium written articles by the top reporters and analysts from ESPN.com. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $11.99 a month (or $119.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or in the ESPN App on mobile and connected devices. For more visit the ESPN+ Press Kit.
About DAZN Group
DAZN is a leading sports streaming service in Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Portugal, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, the US and UK. Its wide range of content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LALIGA, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC. DAZN is the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match outside North America. DAZN is building the ultimate sports entertainment business where fans from across the globe can watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app.
For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.