The Professional Fighters League (PFL) hosted the biggest MMA event of the year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions. This electrifying event featured eleven thrilling bouts, including four fights for the prestigious Super Belt, all held inside the innovative PFL SmartCage.
Main Event Highlights: Renan Ferreira Takes the Throne
In the highly anticipated main event, 2023 PFL Heavyweight Champion Renan Ferreira secured a quick TKO victory over Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader just 21 seconds into the first round. Ferreira proudly hoisted his Super Belt alongside boxing legend Mike Tyson. He is now set to face combat superstar Francis “The Predator” Ngannou in his PFL debut.
Co-Main Event: Intense Battle for the Super Belt
The co-main event saw 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Impa Kasanganay challenge undefeated Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen. After a fierce three-round battle, Eblen won by a narrow split decision, earning the coveted Super Belt.
Additional Notable Fights
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Jason Jackson claimed the Super Belt by defeating two-time PFL Welterweight Champion Ray Cooper III via second-round TKO in a catchweight bout.
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Former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Vadim Nemkov submitted 2021 PFL Heavyweight Champion Bruno Cappelozza with an arm-triangle choke in the second round to claim another Super Belt.
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In a Light Heavyweight matchup, Yoel Romero earned a unanimous decision victory over Thiago Santos, using effective leg kicks to control the fight.
Exciting Early Card Matchups
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Bellator Featherweight Champion AJ McKee forced Clay Collard to submit in under a minute.
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Aaron Pico secured his third consecutive win with a first-round TKO over Henry Corrales.
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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Biaggio Ali Walsh, won a unanimous decision against Emmanuel Palacio in his professional PFL debut.
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Two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields earned a split decision win against Kelsey De Santis after overcoming early submission attempts.
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Saudi fighter Abdullah Al-Qahtani, the first Saudi to compete in PFL, stopped Edukondal Rao by TKO in an exciting Featherweight contest.
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Amateur Flyweight Malik Basahel defeated Vinicius Pereira via unanimous decision, improving his amateur record to 18-2-1.
PFL’s Commitment to MMA Excellence
PFL CEO Peter Murray said:
“Tonight, the Professional Fighters League and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were at the center of the MMA world. This first-ever PFL PPV Super Fight global event delivered electrifying action from the best fighters in MMA. We remain committed to delivering premium MMA experiences worldwide.”
