 PFL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SET FOR NOV. 29 IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIASix Champions will be crowned, with Global Season winners earning a $1 million dollar purse PLUS – Four Champions will be decided in first-ever PFL MENA Championships and the grand return of Hattan Alsaif The biggest night in MMA is available live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and via DAZN in Canada, Europe and additional premium sports platforms internationally RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (Oct. 19, 2024) – Professional Fighters League (PFL) today in partnership with Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF), announced the Championships for the 2024 PFL Global Season, which will be available live in the U.S. on ESPN+ and take place on Friday, November 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Additionally the PFL Championships can be seen live on DAZN throughout Canada and Europe, with additional premium sports platforms hosting the events worldwide. Tickets for this massive night of Championship action are set to go on sale today, Oct. 19 via webook.com. The final two competitors in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, and Women’s Flyweight divisions will be vying for the $1 million dollar purse and the right to be called 2024 PFL World Champion. In addition, PFL MENA’s inaugural season is reaching its conclusion and four champions will also be crowned in the Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight divisions. PFL MENA is creating a pathway for athletes from the region to compete in the PFL Global Season. All Championship bouts for both the Global Season and PFL MENA will be five, five-minute rounds, and for the first time in the history of the PFL Championships, the rule set will now allow elbows. “The Championships are the culmination of our sports-season format, where PFL athletes have beaten the odds to reach this point in the toughest test in all of sports,” Peter Murray, CEO, PFL, said. “There are multiple athletes competing who I am excited to see take that next step in their careers, while there are also returning champions who I’m curious to see if they can reach the pinnacle again. That’s what makes this so great. Catch the biggest night in MMA live on ESPN+ and DAZN globally.” Hosting the 2024 PFL Championships marks a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to growing the sport of MMA. The Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation and the Ministry of Sport have cemented their commitment to growing the impact of MMA on local youth and young athletes. The event not only provides a platform for the world’s best fighters to inspire Saudi youth, but it also offers a global stage for local athletes to compete on at a higher level. Hosting the event also aligns with the country’s Vision 2030 goals of establishing the Kingdom as a global hub for sports and entertainment, inspiring Saudi locals to lead healthy lifestyles, and inspiring youth through sports “Participation in MMA across Saudi Arabia has grown by more than 20% over the past year, with world-class events such as this a huge driver in increasing interest among our nation’s youthful population,” Abdullah Al Hazza, CEO, SMMAF, said. “Hosting the Championships for the 2024 PFL Global Season strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position on the world MMA map, with the exposure and experience gained for our athletes invaluable in their development. This includes showcasing MMA to women, and the return of Hattan Alsaif – the first ever Saudi woman to sign with a major global MMA promotion – to the November card is a welcome moment for our country’s combat sports community.” PFL Regular Season features a true sports-season format, where elite fighters from around the world compete in a Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship, with each winner of the six weight divisions receiving a $1 million purse. Updated PFL Championships Card: ESPN+ (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada & Europe) Friday, November 29, 2024 Featherweight Championship Main Event: Brendan Loughnane (29-5) vs. Timur Khizriev (17-0) Women’s Flyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Dakota Ditcheva (13-0) vs. Taila Santos (22-3) Light Heavyweight Championship: Impa Kasanganay (18-4) vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (24-7-1) Welterweight Championship: Magomed Umalatov (17-0) vs. Shamil Musaev (19-0-1) Lightweight Championship: Brent Primus (14-3) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (22-4-1) Heavyweight Championship: Denis Goltsov (34-8) vs. Oleg Popov (19-1) PFL MENA Championships: PFL MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (12-6) PFL MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (5-0) vs. Islam Reda (12-1) PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (11-1) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (15-3) PFL MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (6-2) vs. Georges Eid (10-4) Amateur Women’s Atomweight Bout: Hattan Alsaif (2-0) vs. TBA PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight-class. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, PFL Africa, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is available on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners. ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA and the fastest-growing sports league world-wide. PFL has five live fight franchises, offering year-round content: PFL League Season, PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Challenger Series, PFL International Leagues, and Bellator. Founded in 2018, PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SURJ, Ares, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth sport business of this decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams. PFLmma.com; Instagram (@PFLmma); Twitter (@PFLMMA); Facebook (/PFLmma) |
Tag Archives: Riyadh
COMPLETE PFL BATTLE OF THE GIANTS FIGHT NIGHT RESULTS
 Full access to PFL’s Battle of the Giants assets here |
| RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — Francis Ngannou is back and is the winner of the Battle of the Giants. The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, hosted the return of “The Predator,” who viciously stopped his opponent Renan Ferreira by knockout in a little over three minutes to win the newly minted PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship Belt and reclaim his position atop the mountain in mixed martial arts. With the win, Ngannou immediately puts the combat sports world on notice that he remains a force to be reckoned with anytime he laces up the four-ounce PFL MMA gloves. The co-main event of the evening saw the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all-time, Cris “Cyborg,” add to her already impressive resume with a unanimous decision victory over PFL two-division Champion Larissa Pacheco. By winning the PFL Super Fights Women’s Featherweight World Championship, “Cyborg” has now added her fifth different promotional belt to her trophy case. The loss snaps a ten-fight winning streak for Pacheco, while “Cyborg” has pushed her winning streak to eight bouts. The Bellator Middleweight Championship was on the line in a rematch between undefeated champion Johnny Eblen and England’s Fabian Edwards. It was the world-class grappling of American Top Team’s Eblen that was the difference. The Kansas City-native scored numerous takedowns over the course of 25 minutes, earning a unanimous 48-47 decision despite a fifth round onslaught from Edwards. Zafar Mohsen entered PFL’s SmartCage for the first time on Saturday as a major underdog for his Featherweight contest against Dagestan’s Husein Kadimagomaev, but it was the German athlete who emerged the favorite, sweeping the scorecards in a one-sided 30-27 unanimous decision victory. Mohsen has now pushed his current winning streak to four bouts. Opening the PPV card of PFL Battle of the Giants, a highly anticipated Lightweight fight between former Bellator Featherweight Champion AJ McKee and surging Irish prospect Paul Hughes ended up being exactly what fight fans were expecting – a high-level, back-and-forth fight between two athletes with title aspirations. Both fighters had their moments, but in the end, two judges’ saw Belfast’s Hughes as the winner, moving him to 2-0 in PFL and putting “Big News” one step closer to a world title shot. Professional Fighters League (PFL) in partnership with the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF), announced earlier today that the Championships for the 2024 PFL Global Season will take place on Friday, November 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event will air live in the U.S. on ESPN+ and additionally can be seen live on DAZN throughout Canada and Europe, with additional premium sports platforms hosting the events worldwide. PFL Battle of the Giants Main Card Results: Francis Ngannou (18-3) defeated Renan Ferreira (13-4, 3 NC) via KO (punches) at 3:32 of round one Cris Cyborg (28-2, 1 NC) defeated Larissa Pacheco (23-5) via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) Johnny Eblen (16-0) defeated Fabian Edwards (13-4) via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) Zafar Mohsen (14-4) defeated Husein Kadimagomaev (11-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Paul Hughes (13-1) defeated AJ McKee (22-2) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Early Card Results: Raufeon Stots (21-2) defeated Marcos Breno (13-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:01 at round three Makkasharip Zaynukov (16-4) defeated Dedrek Sanders (9-5) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26. 30-26) Ibragim Ibragimov (8-0) defeated Nacho Campos (5-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Taha Bendaoud (4-0) defeated Tariq Ismail (8-2) via submission (triangle choke) at 3:51 of round two ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA and the fastest-growing sports league world-wide. PFL has five live fight franchises, offering year-round content: PFL League Season, PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Challenger Series, PFL International Leagues, and Bellator. Founded in 2018, PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SURJ, Ares, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth sport business of this decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams. PFLmma.com; Instagram (@PFLmma); Twitter (@PFLMMA); Facebook (/PFLmma) |