FIRST. ROUND. FINISH!
[
#PFLSuperFights |
#BraceForImpact | BUY NOW | https://t.co/kWyJTEGRvW | https://t.co/2BtPH3wso4 ] pic.twitter.com/Zuyv8eN81H— PFL (@PFLMMA)
October 19, 2024
Francis
Ngannou emphatically returned to the world of blended martial
arts on Saturday with a first-round technical knockout (3:22) over
2023
Skilled Fighters League Match winner Renan
Ferreira within the “Tremendous
Fights: Battle of the Giants” fundamental occasion at The Mayadeen in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou confirmed no rust from his over two-year hiatus from blended
martial arts. After two high-profile boxing matches in opposition to
Tyson
Fury and Anthony
Joshua, many questioned if Ngannou would stand and bang with the
6-foot-8 big, however the former lineal heavyweight kingpin was too
sensible. Ngannou took Ferreira down with a clean double leg and
dragged him to the fence the place he patiently waited to strike.
Ferreira sacrificed his butterfly guard to throw up a triangle
try, however as Ngannou shrugged off the try, Ferreira’s again
grew to become uncovered. Smelling blood within the water, Ngannou pounced on
Ferreira and reigned down bombs till his prey was laid out stiff
on the canvas.
It’s unclear what’s subsequent for Ngannou (18-3). He’s arguably essentially the most
well-known heavyweight fighter on the planet and has confirmed to be a field
workplace attract MMA and boxing. Ngannou’s fundamental focus postfight was
mourning the lack of his then 15-month-old son Kobe.
Cris
Cyborg turned again the clock and denied the younger, hungry and
scrappy Larissa
Pacheco within the co-main occasion. After 5 violent rounds, Cyborg
emerged victorious by way of unanimous determination (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) to
win the PFL Tremendous Fights featherweight title. Cyborg seemed
ferocious within the opening spherical and persistently cracked Pacheco
with heavy pictures, however because the combat wore on the two-time PFL
Match winner gained momentum.
Pacheco’s greatest spherical got here within the third the place she battered Cyborg
with arduous rights and had her face bloodied from cuts suffered
earlier within the contest. The lacerations and the blood should’ve
fueled Cyborg, who rapidly retook management of the combat in Spherical
4. With three rounds within the bag, Cyborg refused to coast to the
end line and poured on the strain because the followers exploded out of
their seats.
Johnny
Eblen as soon as once more proved that he’s the most effective middleweight in
Bellator by dominating Fabian
Edwards.
Eblen cruised to a unanimous determination (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) win
regardless of a late combat flurry from Edwards. Along with his dominant
wrestling, Eblen managed the primary 20 minutes, however Edwards
almost pulled off a dramatic comeback late as soon as he might again Eblen
down with elbows and punches. Eblen weathered the storm and
clinched his technique to the ultimate bell. With the win, Eblen improved to
16-0 and picked up his third title protection.
Regardless of coming in as a cushty favourite, Husein
Kadimagomaev had little solutions for Germany’s Zafar
Mohsen. Kadimagomaev seemed gradual and torpid and couldn’t
hold Mohsen from using his wrestling. Mohsen (14-4) has
completed his final three fights however cruised to a call win in his
PFL debut (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Welcome to the massive present, Paul
Hughes.
The budding Irish celebrity picked up the largest win of his profession
by way of break up determination (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over former Bellator
featherweight champion A.J. McKee in
an action-packed light-weight showdown.
McKee began the combat sturdy and tagged the previous
Cage Warriors champion earlier than Hughes almost took his head off
with a knee. It didn’t take lengthy for Hughes to achieve McKee’s
respect, and he rapidly established that he was the larger puncher.
With the primary spherical nonetheless within the stability, Hughes (13-1) surged
forward on the scorecards with a flush shot that dropped McKee on his
butt on the buzzer.
McKee was rather more cautious all through the remainder of the combat and
seemed visibly gassed. Hughes admitted to being exhausted, however his
physique language spoke confidently as he sprawled off McKee’s
determined takedown makes an attempt. The combat tightened as McKee stored his
strain on Hughes, however the Irish knockout artist managed to at all times
break away and throw flashy, devastating combos. The third
spherical might’ve gone both approach, and the victory might’ve gone to
both man, however Hughes’ large putting and spectacular defensive
wrestling made McKee (22-2) look common. Following the win, Hughes
known as out reigning light-weight champion Usman
Nurmagomedov to a title combat.
Raufeon
Stots proved that he’s nonetheless amongst the most effective bantamweights in
the world and will discover himself with one other crack on the Bellator
bantamweight title after his gutsy win over the damaging Marcos
Breno. The heavy-handed Brazillian (15-4) staggered Stots early
together with his proper hand and seemed handy the Houston native his third
first-round knockout loss. The 35-year-old former interim champ
confirmed his class by weathering the storm and using his
wrestling.
Stots, a former NCAA DII wrestling champion, grinded his approach again
into the combat and neutralized Breno’s energy with fixed pictures
and place adjustments. The tempo took a toll on Breno, and with two
minutes left within the combat, he left his neck open in exhaustion.
Stots jumped on the chance and sunk within the rear-naked choke.
With the win, Stots (21-2) will look to avenge his loss to reigning
Bellator bantamweight champion Patrick
Combine, who knocked out Stots with a flying knee of their first
combat.
Makkasharip
Zaynukov got here into his PFL debut and ragdolled Dedrek
Sanders en path to a simple unanimous determination (30-26, 30-26,
30-26). Sanders hoped to construct off his first-round knockout over
Sergio
Cossio in August, however Zaynukov stored him scrambling for his
life. Along with his legs clamped, Sanders might do little with Zaynukov
battering him excessive of his guard. It was a dominating
efficiency from the Dagenstani wrestler, who picked up his
fifth-straight win.
A battle of unbeaten featherweights culminated in a three-round
wrestling masterclass from Dagestan’s Ibragim
Ibragimov. The 20-year-old nullified Nacho
Campos’ (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) explosive putting and stored him
on the mat for quarter-hour. Campos discovered some success together with his knees
within the second spherical, however Ibragimov’s fixed strain stored Campos
on the defensive en path to his first profession loss. With the
victory, Ibragimov (8-0) gained his second-straight combat within the
PFL.
Taha
Bendaoud’s undefeated document was on the chopping block halfway
via his combat with fellow featherweight Tariq
Ismail. “The Atlas Lion” had spent many of the featherweight
tilt on his again and had taken heavy injury. His face was swollen
and leaking blood, however Bendaoud nonetheless noticed his opening to flip the
combat on his head.
Shifting in for the end,
Ismail didn’t understand that he was falling right into a lure.
He reigned down punches however didn’t see the triangle try that
Bendaoud threw out of desperation and with 3:51 left within the second
spherical it was too late. Ismail was sick to his abdomen after tapping
out and chucked his mouthpiece on the fence in frustration. A straightforward
win had slipped his fingers, whereas Bendaoud (4-0) held on to his
unblemished document.