Victory lap? PFL boss boasts of ‘massive’ metrics for Francis Ngannou’s Battle of the Giants return

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) hosted one of its biggest events ever this past weekend (Sat., Oct. 19, 2024) when the “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view (PPV) spectacle took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arabia, Arabia took place.

Much of the allure of the event was due to the fact that former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannoumade his debut alongside the 265-pound king, Renan Ferreirafor the “Super Fight” title, more than a year after signing a deal with the promotion. In the end, “The Predator” – who was coming off two straight defeats in boxing – made quick work of “Problema,” knocking him out in under four minutes and extending his MMA win streak to seven straight (highlights here).

The event – ​​which also saw the advertising debut of Cris Cyborg, who defeated the women’s featherweight champion, Larissa Pacheco — was ultimately a great success. According to the PFL founder, Donn Daviswho divided up various target group metrics X prove that.

Before the event, Davis announced that “Battle of the Giants” would be bigger than UFC 306 at The Sphere, which was a sight to behold and was called a “love letter to the Mexican people” by the company’s CEO. Dana White.

Whether these impressive audience metrics translated into PPV purchases – it cost $49.99 – is unknown.

The event also featured a rematch for the Bellator MMA Middleweight Championship Johnny Eblen dominate Fabian Edwards a second time to retain his title. In the opening fight of the main card Paul Hughes caused a major upset by defeating the former featherweight world champion. AJ McKeeby unanimous decision in his PFL debut. The main attraction, however, was Ngannou, who proved he still has the pull in MMA to even tempt Jon Jones into watching and give him props.

The promotion will return to Riyadh next month to host the 2024 championships, which will feature six title bouts, with the winner of each bout not only being crowned champion but also receiving a $1 million salary. One of these championship fights will be in the heavyweight division Denis Golzow is confronted Oleg Popov to see who might get a shot at The Predator next.

To read the latest and greatest Ngannou vs. Ferreira news and notes, be sure to check out our comprehensive event archive Here.