PFL Tremendous Fights: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was headlined by three title fights throughout PFL and Bellator. Johnny Eblen efficiently defended his title in a rematch towards Fabian Edwards, whereas Francis Ngannou and Cris Cyborg, who have been making their PFL debuts, gained Tremendous Fights belts towards Renan Ferreira and Larissa Pacheco, respectively. Now that the mud has settled, what’s subsequent for the three winners? Andreas Hale, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim provide their last ideas on the occasion.
What’s subsequent for ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’?
A break — though I have to say, I do not understand how lengthy of a break Ngannou will take.
It was unbelievable that he needed to take this combat. Kobe, his son, died in late April, and we’re solely in mid-October. He hasn’t even had six months to course of his loss. He took the combat to honor his 15-month-old son and, I imagine, grieve. Ngannou is the type of human being who grieves in movement fairly than sitting nonetheless. This combat gave him one thing to speculate his ache.
Now that it is over, what’s modified? On the postfight information convention Saturday, he basically mentioned he’ll grieve for the remainder of his life. I count on that when the mud settles from this combat, it will not be lengthy earlier than Ngannou begins to crave one other problem as a result of he is not the type of particular person to sit down. The excellent news is that I imagine he could have choices. Someway, he continues to search out unbelievable new methods to encourage yearly. As he mentioned in his postfight interview, he has discovered one thing of a house in Saudi Arabia, which has hosted his previous three fights (two boxing, one MMA) and promotional powers that be will certainly need him again — and pay for it.
My intestine is that his subsequent combat is in a boxing ring, however it’s going to depend upon how sure dominoes fall. The PFL has already acknowledged it desires its Tremendous Fights champions to defend belts. I imagine we’ll see Ngannou in competitors once more within the first half of subsequent yr, and I imagine, a method or one other, he’ll get two appearances. — Okamoto
A Cyborg-Pacheco rivalry is finest case situation for PFL, ladies’s MMA
Cris Cyborg gained a aggressive unanimous resolution over Larissa Pacheco to change into the PFL Tremendous Struggle ladies’s featherweight champion. Choosing up one other world title at age 39, Cyborg nonetheless has a declare to being one of many best ladies’s blended martial artists within the sport’s historical past. Nevertheless, because of the aggressive nature of the combat, the place Cyborg’s face was left a bloody mess of cuts and bruises, this will likely have been the absolute best end result for PFL.
With Ngannou and Eblen profitable dominantly and with out a worthy challenger, the PFL may gain advantage from a rivalry that may carry eyeballs again to the product. A rematch between Cyborg and Pacheco treatments that as one thing followers can sink their enamel into.
It is solely pure, given how the combat performed out.
Though the scores have been 49-46, the combat steered that Pacheco, 30, might ultimately be Cyborg’s successor. Cyborg was pressured to deploy a unique sport plan, combating tactfully fairly than blowing the competitors away together with her energy. The multi-promotion world champion fought intelligently, mixing takedowns together with her placing, a stark departure from her calling card of overpowering the opposition. However Pacheco — the one girl to defeat present UFC title contender Kayla Harrison — is youthful, sooner and arguably stronger than her counterpart.
It was a battle of youth vs. expertise, with Cyborg profitable on factors, however Pacheco doing extra harm. It was the primary time Cyborg was pressured to make use of her intelligence fairly than energy to win a combat. A undeniable fact that was crystalized within the third spherical when Pacheco beckoned to fulfill her within the middle of the cage for a firefight. A youthful Cyborg would have gleefully answered the decision. Nevertheless, this wiser model of Cyborg relented and performed it sensible fairly than permit her ego to drag her right into a fistfight that might have ended badly for her.
Though Pacheco misplaced, she has one thing to construct upon for a return bout. She now is aware of what she is coping with, and the rematch would undoubtedly carry some intrigue because of the changes they have to make.
Rivalries are at all times finest for enterprise within the combat sport, and the PFL has one which helps bolster its product and girls’s MMA. With two extra fights on Cyborg’s contract, a rematch appears probably — and crucial. — Hale
Little left to do for Johnny Eblen in new PFL
Eblen was in a no-win scenario, getting into the cage to defend his Bellator middleweight championship towards a challenger he had knocked out barely a yr in the past. How was he purported to surpass that efficiency? He did not surpass it, as issues turned out, however Eblen, 32, managed to get his hand raised towards Fabian Edwards, 31, for a second time. This one went the gap and was aggressive.
So, ought to they only run it again once more?
I am being facetious. There is not any have to go the trilogy route when one fighter is 2-0 versus the opposite. However I elevate that situation to guide me to this query: What is left for Eblen?
He is among the finest 185-pounders on the planet — No. 5 within the ESPN divisional rankings — however he is a champion with out a clearcut challenger. He is twice defeated Bellator’s No. 2 middleweight, Edwards. The subsequent in line could be Anatoly Tokov, and Eblen has crushed him, too. A greater rematch would have been towards Gegard Mousasi, however Bellator’s mum or dad firm, the PFL, launched him and Mousasi’s combat is with the corporate, as he is suing.
A transfer over to the PFL is not within the playing cards for Eblen, since there is not any 185-pound division. So what is going to the matchmakers do subsequent with Eblen? Or is it time to contemplate a transfer to the UFC? — Wagenheim