After more than two years away from MMA action, Francis Ngannou looked to prove he is still the real deal in the cage. The lineal UFC heavyweight champion entered the SmartCage in Saudi Arabia, ready to start a new chapter in his career and honor the memory of his late son.
"The Predator" returned in grand fashion, as he dominated Renan Ferreira to win Superfight gold. He only needed one round to show who the king of the heavyweight division really is.
Ngannou looked cool, calm, and collected as he entered the SmartCage. He started the fight with massive leg kicks and knew to be wary of Ferreira's power. The Cameroonian landed a takedown, shades of his last fight against Ciryl Gane, and Ferreira had no answer for it. He used his signature power to land punishing blows to the head of the Brazilian, who couldn't continue.
It was a long time coming for Ngannou, who left the UFC after a fight with Jon Jones never materialized to pursue better opportunities for himself and fighters. He competed in boxing, a sport he loved as a child, to prove himself. He returned to MMA after losing his son Kobe and showed he still has something to give to the sport.
An emotional Ngannou let it all out after the win.
A powerful message from @francisngannou ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fxs8l6AgyR
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 19, 2024
What is next for Ngannou is unknown, but he is ready to continue his journey, no matter what is in front of him.
The "Legacy Tour" began for the legendary Cris Cyborg, and it started with a win against someone who looked like her twin in Larissa Pacheco. For the first time in a year, Cyborg won an MMA fight in impressive fashion.
Cyborg landed four takedowns and 108 strikes against Pacheco, a two-division PFL champion. She utilized a wrestling game to start things off and would later land massive combinations. Pacheco ate them like they were nothing and landed combinations of her own. It was a back-and-forth affair worthy of a main event position. Cyborg won via unanimous decision.
The fight was for a PFL Superfight belt. Cyborg has now won titles in five promotions, holding gold with the PFL, Bellator, UFC, Invicta, and Strikeforce. The 39-year-old, winner of eight straight, competed in the first of three fights left in her career. She wants to fight in Dubai in February. The loss ended Pacheco's ten-fight win streak.
GRAND SLAM COMPLETE 👑👑👑👑👑@criscyborg defeats Larissa Pacheco to capture the Women’s Featherweight World Title - completing an incredible Grand Slam of MMA Titles 🇧🇷
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 19, 2024
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[ #PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact | BUY NOW |… pic.twitter.com/s7VOfZfmjr
No big cut affected Johnny Eblen or Fabian Edwards this time in an anticipated rematch. However, Eblen dominated most of the fight to remain the Bellator bantamweight champion and go 2-0 against Edwards. All three judges scored it 48-47 in favor of Eblen.
Eblen landed double-digit takedowns (15) against the brother of former UFC champion Leon Edwards. Fabian couldn't pull off a miracle shot like Leon did against Kamaru Usman. Edwards put on a clinic in round five, but the D1 wrestling clinic by Eblen was enough to secure the win and his place as one of the best middleweights in the world.
Husein Kadimagomaev was a massive favorite heading into his fight against Zafar Mohsen. Oddsmakers were left in shambles as Mohsen dominated the fight. The German stuffed takedown attempts from Kadimagomaev and landed hard shots that pushed the latter back. A tired Kadimagomaev had no answer for Mohsen, massive for his weight class.
Mohsen has now won four straight, his first in the PFL SmartCage.
Saturday resulted in "Big News" for Paul Hughes to open the main card, as the Irish fighter beat former Bellator champion A.J. McKee. Hughes came into the fight confident, proving the doubters wrong with excellent head movement and sharp shots. He took McKee down before the first round ended and remained relentless as the fight went on.
Hughes has arrived, and he has now won seven straight. He called out Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov right away. McKee's four-fight win streak has come to an end.
The Sporting News provided results from the entire PFL Battle of the Giants fight card.
PFL Battle of the Giants full card results
Main Card
- Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira via KO (3:32 into round one)
- Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
- Johnny Eblen (c) def. Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision for the Bellator middleweight title (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
- Zafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Paul Hughes def. AJ McKee via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Prelims
- Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno via rear-naked choke (3:01 into round three)
- Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–26, 30–26)
- Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
- Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail via triangle choke (3:51 into round two)
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