As far as PFL co-owner Donn Davis is concerned, Francis Ngannou’s return bout marks the true test of the heavyweight. Not Jon Jones returning for his UFC 309 November pay-per-view headliner! Davis is sticking to that script, one-upping promotion rival UFC CEO Dana White on it yet again. Ngannou returns and takes on Renan Ferreira in Saturday’s PFL: ‘Battle of the Giants’ (DAZN/ESPN+) at The Mayadeen in Riyadh.
Simply put, the promotion’s co-owner believes that after Saturday, the PFL will have the best heavyweight in MMA. Jones wants this to be a swan song, meaning a Jones-Ngannou cross-promotion mega fight is a long shot. But after the highly anticipated PFL: ‘Battle of the Giants’ pay-per-view superfight series, Davis says never say never. Davis hinted that it could happen if White wanted it to.
This is the biggest fight in MMA in heavyweight this year. Francis, when he left the UFC, he was the pound-for-pound No. 1 and the heavyweight champion. And then Ferreira is the biggest rising star … This is the fight everybody wants to see…Francis Ngannou? He said he’ll take on all comers. I think Jon Jones wants to cement his legacy. There’s only one obstacle to that fight, and we know who that is.
Donn Davis to media scrum during PFL: ‘Battle of the Giants’ pay-per-view Conference faceoffs at the Mayadeen Theater
At the UFC 309 PPV, Jones (27-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) is a massive favorite against former champ Stipe Miocic. On a 7-1 betting tide, “Bones” won heavyweight gold after Ngannou vacated it. Hence, the Cameroonian faces Ferreira after having quit UFC as the lineal heavyweight champ. Even current HW Interim Champ Tom Aspinall recently put an asterisk on his legacy and got a reply. But neither has taken the fight to ‘Predator’.
Hence, a Jones vs. Ngannou PPV booking has been the biggest what-if scenario for some time. Now an independent contractor opting for the PFL tournament bracket and crossover fights, Ngannou hasn’t given up, as has Davis. So, the latter can boldly tout his fighters as the best now. To dispute that claim would require some cross-promotion with the UFC—an idea CEO White has essentially never been keen on. Unlike Jones, Ngannou will need to make a bigger mark here.
PFL CEO Pete Murray says super fight belts must be defended
Francis Ngannou took his out after a 2022 unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane to defend the promotion’s 265-pound strap. He entered the boxing foray and even signed up with PFL as a free agent. Now, taking up the MMA test against Renan Ferreira after 991 days has opened up a bigger can of holes. However, unlike the projected first-ever PPV double retirement of Jones and Miocic, the PFL heavyweight lineup has other solemn duties.
The French-Cameroonian did say he’ll make a mark and call his retirement before the sport takes him out. However, he isn’t planning to do that any soon. Ngannou is just starting out in Saturday’s PFL: ‘Battle of the Giants’, and the top brass are here for it. Moreover, to remove any blemish or doubt about the “real” MMA heavyweight, CEO Pete Murray says the belts will need defending.
The PFL superfights belt, first time we as a company and organization have a belt where it must be won, but it also must be defended on an ongoing basis, …Typically, our global season belts, they recognize those champions for the year, and they’re forever that year’s champion. But this is a different belt, a different format for us. So both Francis and Cris want to be the first ones to raise those belts, but Renan and Larissa, two Brazilians, they’re going to bring it.
Pete Murray via MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze”
The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, introduces two new “Super Fight” belts. In the co-main PPV bill, Cris Cyborg (27-2-1) looks to collect her fifth decorated strap against two-time PFL champion Larissa Pacheco. Meanwhile, 2023 season champ ‘Problema’ defends his stake against Ngannou.
Adhering to the yearly tournament bracket, season belts guarantee the championship for that year. But Super Fights need a more long-lasting legacy. Ferreira already extended his stock as the 2023 bracket season champ when he took out Ryan Bader in the PFL vs. Bellator: Champ vs. champ event. While not like athletic commission mandates, these belts still need to be challenged more often.
