Over a year after signing with the PFL, Francis Ngannou will make his walk to the SmartCage. Ngannou competes in MMA for the first time in two years, facing 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner Renan Ferreira.
Ngannou (17-3) beat Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to win the UFC heavyweight title, avenging a loss from UFC 220. Suffering from knee injuries, Ngannou still successfully defended the title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022. “The Predator” exited the UFC in 2023 following contract disputes, leaving the promotion as the lineal UFC heavyweight champion.
Ngannou was brought into the PFL to build up the Super Fight PPV division. However, he entered the boxing world first, per a clause in his contract. Ngannou knocked down Tyson Fury in a losing effort and recently got knocked out by Anthony Joshua. Despite the damage he took and the recent loss of his child, Ngannou told Joe Rogan his return to MMA will be before the end of the year.
“Renan is a great fighter; I have been watching him for years,” said Ngannou. “I have been studying him for years. In fact, I’ve been telling people to watch this guy. He’s quite unique, he’s athletic, fast, his size doesn’t impress me as much as his skill.”
MORE: PFL format, explained
Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC) turned pro in 2013 and has eleven wins via knockout. The Brazilian has not lost a fight for the PFL since 2022. He beat Denis Goltsov via TKO to win the 2023 heavyweight tournament. “Problema" secured the lone PFL win against a Bellator fighter in February when it took less than a minute to take out Ryan Bader. He decided to wait for Ngannou instead of competing in the 2024 tournament.
The PFL Super Fight co-main event will be Cris Cyborg facing two-time PFL tournament winner Larissa Pacheco. Cyborg (27–2, 1 NC) is a former UFC, Strikeforce, and Invicta FC featherweight champion and the current Bellator featherweight champion. The Jiu-Jitsu world champion and now-frequent boxer is on a seven-fight win streak, her last fight in October 2023.
Pacheco (23-4) shocked the world by beating Kayla Harrison in 2022 in the PFL lightweight tournament. She has since won four straight in dominant fashion, winning the 2023 PFL featherweight tournament in November.
Here’s what we know about Ngannou's PFL debut, including the card, odds, rumors, latest news and more.
PFL 'Battle of the Giants' tune-in info
- Date: Saturday, October 19
- Location: The Mayadeen - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Start time: 4:00pm ET | 1 p.m. PT | 11:00 pm AST
- How to watch: ESPN+ | DAZN
- PPV Price: TBD
- ESPN+: $10.99 for a monthly subscription / annual subscription for $109.99)
- DAZN monthly subscription: $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $24.99 month-to-month in U.S./ $24.99 per month in Canada/ £9.99 in the U.K. on a 12-month contract, or £19.99 month-to-month/ 13.99 AUD in Australia
- DAZN annual subscription: $224.99 in the U.S., $199.99 in Canada, and £99.99 in the U.K.
MORE: Breaking down the purse and salary history of PFL fighters
PFL 'Battle of the Giants' card
- Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira; Heavyweights
- Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco; Featherweights
- AJ McKee vs. Paul Hughes; Lightweights
- Johnny Eblen (c) vs. Fabian Edwards for the Bellator middleweight title
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >
