Francis Ngannou stops 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira in one round
Ngannou makes winning return to MMA after over two years away
Ngannou lost his young son earlier this year & dedicated the win to him
UNDERCARD: Cris Cyborg narrowly defeats Larissa Pacheco, Johnny Eblen retains Bellator title against Fabian Edwards & Paul Hughes defeats AJ McKee
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McKee v Hughes
Paul Hughes, who is currently making his way to the cage, knows he can change his life with a win over American AJ McKee tonight.
Here he is talking about the "life-changing" opportunity.
Well, the PFL have certainly given this the big build-up. 'The Battle of the Giants' the main event between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira has been dubbed.
We've already had a parade of flags and next Irish fighter Paul Hughes will take on AJ McKee.
It may look like a UFC octagon but this PFL SmartCage is much more than that.
The 10-sided MMA cage uses technology to provide real-time data and stats from events. It includes sensors, electronic receivers and transmitters and activity trackers.
The cage will provide fans with information, such as:
Image source, Getty ImagesA little house-keeping, because some of you might be wondering why Francis Ngannou isn't fighting in the PFL's American series.
Yes, the PFL run a tournament for the biggest stars in the US. Every year a grand final crowns a new champion and gives them a world title, and a $1m cheque.
The titles then reset for the new season. You don't become the new champion automatically if you beat the 2023 champion in the 2024 opening round.
Make sense?
So Renan Ferreira and Larissa Pacheco's titles aren't on the line in their respective fights. Although the PFL have created 'super fights belts' for this event.
Ngannou's star power is such the PFL wanted to build an event around him and match him with their last heavyweight champion, Ferreira. And the winner will be given the 'super fights belt', as will the winner of Cyborg v Pacheco.
The idea seems to be that Ngannou will only fight on these standalone events, which are pay-per-view, while you may see the likes of Paul Hughes or AJ McKee in the 2025 PFL tournaments.
For those of you who like a bit of organisation around here, here's the running order for tonight:
Who's ready for some Saturday night MMA? I know I certainly am!
Welcome to our live text of the PFL Super Fights event, where former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will make his PFL debut. But, before that, we've got three fantastic bouts coming your way.
Sit tight because we've got some great action coming.