UPDATE: Fighting in MMA for the first time since January 2022, Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champ, readily handled 2023 PFL heavyweight champ Renan Ferreira on Saturday, earning a first-round knock in the main function of PFL: Battle of the Giants inside Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Francis Ngannou, who made his Professional Fighters League album against Renan Ferreira on Saturday nights, makes his first appearance in the cage in almost three years.
Ngannou’s returning to mixed martial arts after a brief hiatus from boxer serves as a crucial moment for both him and the PFL, who will benefit from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The” Battle of the Giants” event, which is highlighted by the main card, in Riyadh’s capital city, highlights the more than$ 100 million minority stake transaction made by SRJ Sports Investments, a sports-focused fund launched by PIF last year. The highly anticipated battle also highlights the PIF cash being at work on a world stage as it strengthens the second-biggest MMA promotion while Ngannou demonstrates that he made the right choice to switch from the UFC to the PFL.
According to PFL co-founder Donn Davis,” We needed enough money to take the business to where we’ve been able to take it.” We had good thoughts, but there was not enough money to put those ideas into practice.
Through intellectual property from big sporting events, professional right, and more, SRJ, pronounced” surge,” was established to promote the growth of the sporting field in Saudia Arabia and the Middle East and North Africa. Proceeding, which controls more than$ 700 billion in federal funds, looks at global sports as a significant opportunity to expand its business outside of oil. The latest example of how PIF’s investment in the PFL looks to effect the MMA landscape and exploit a fast-growing activity with an underrepresented fan base is PIF’s investment in the PFL.
By the time they host the World Cup in 2034, Davis said,” They would like to have developed MMA in their own place to have a world champion.” Because they think there can be more than one leader, PFL would like to become a co-leader.
The PFL’s capital investment from SRJ has allowed the organization to make a number of significant moves, including acquiring Bellator to form one of the biggest MMA organizations and bringing in high-profile talent like Ngannou, who is rumored to earn more than$ 10 million from this weekend’s heavyweight championship fight.
Ngannou’s overall deal with PFL, which gives him the option to chair PFL Africa, its newest regional group, is a perfect illustration of how the emerging group approaches abolitionist UFC. Saturday’s struggle is an awareness turning stage, Davis said.
” It shows a lot of people who have n’t heard of PFL, might hear now”, he said. The next turning place is our distinct and unique global growth, which is unique and unique to what UFC is doing.

PFL, which places a high value on globalization, hopes that this enclosure battle may help PFL Africa, which debuts in 2025, succeed PFL Europe, which launched last month, and PFL MENA, which launched this year. By 2026, Latin America, Australia, and Asia are even anticipated to be operational to expand the international centres to six.
Leveraging their growing international system, fueled by SRJ money, Davis maintains this will be the biggest MMA battle of the year, overpowering UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September. Regardless of whether Ngannou prevails or no, PFL could possibly coexist with UFC with aid from the Middle East because the phase has been set in a world manner.
” This has enhanced us greatly in terms of our business”, Davis said.
( This story has been updated to include the result of Saturday’s fight. )