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 in opposition to Fabian Edwards, whereas Francis Ngannou and Cris Cyborg, who had been making their PFL debuts, received Tremendous Fights belts in opposition to 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 supply their remaining 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 wished to take this battle. 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 battle to honor his 15-month-old son and, I imagine, grieve. Ngannou is the sort of human being who grieves in movement somewhat than sitting nonetheless. This battle gave him one thing to speculate his ache.
Now that it is over, what’s modified? On the postfight information convention Saturday, he primarily mentioned he’ll grieve for the remainder of his life. I count on that after the mud settles from this battle, it will not be lengthy earlier than Ngannou begins to crave one other problem as a result of he is not the sort of particular person to take a seat. 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 battle is in a boxing ring, however it would depend upon how sure dominoes fall. The PFL has already acknowledged it needs its Tremendous Fights champions to defend belts. I imagine we’ll see Ngannou in competitors once more within the first half of subsequent 12 months, and I imagine, a method or one other, he’ll get two appearances. — Okamoto
A Cyborg-Pacheco rivalry is greatest case state of affairs for PFL, ladies’s MMA
Cris Cyborg received a aggressive unanimous determination over Larissa Pacheco to grow to be the PFL Tremendous Struggle ladies’s featherweight champion. Selecting up one other world title at age 39, Cyborg nonetheless has a declare to being one of many biggest ladies’s combined martial artists within the sport’s historical past. Nonetheless, as a result of aggressive nature of the battle, the place Cyborg’s face was left a bloody mess of cuts and bruises, this may occasionally have been the very best consequence for PFL.
With Ngannou and Eblen profitable dominantly and and not using a worthy challenger, the PFL may gain advantage from a rivalry that will carry eyeballs again to the product. A rematch between Cyborg and Pacheco cures that as one thing followers can sink their tooth into.
It is solely pure, given how the battle performed out.
Though the scores had been 49-46, the battle urged that Pacheco, 30, might ultimately be Cyborg’s successor. Cyborg was pressured to deploy a unique sport plan, combating tactfully somewhat 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 lady 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 somewhat than power to win a battle. A indisputable fact that was crystalized within the third spherical when Pacheco beckoned to satisfy her within the middle of the cage for a firefight. A youthful Cyborg would have gleefully answered the decision. Nonetheless, this wiser model of Cyborg relented and performed it good somewhat than permit her ego to tug her right into a fistfight that would have ended badly for her.
Although 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 as a result of changes they need to make.
Rivalries are all the time greatest for enterprise within the battle 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 seemingly — and essential. — Hale
Little left to do for Johnny Eblen in new PFL
Eblen was in a no-win state of affairs, moving into the cage to defend his Bellator middleweight championship in opposition to a challenger he had knocked out barely a 12 months in the past. How was he imagined to surpass that efficiency? He did not surpass it, as issues turned out, however Eblen, 32, managed to get his hand raised in opposition to Fabian Edwards, 31, for a second time. This one went the space and was aggressive.
So, ought to they simply run it again once more?
I am being facetious. There isn’t any have to go the trilogy route when one fighter is 2-0 versus the opposite. However I elevate that state of affairs to steer me to this query: What is left for Eblen?
He is likely one of the greatest 185-pounders on the planet — No. 5 within the ESPN divisional rankings — however he is a champion and not using a clearcut challenger. He is twice defeated Bellator’s No. 2 middleweight, Edwards. The following in line could be Anatoly Tokov, and Eblen has crushed him, too. A greater rematch would have been in opposition to Gegard Mousasi, however Bellator’s mum or dad firm, the PFL, launched him and Mousasi’s battle is with the corporate, as he is suing.
A transfer over to the PFL is not within the playing cards for Eblen, since there isn’t 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
