PFL vs. Bellator takeaways: Ngannou will get a dance associate in Ferreira

What have been the largest moments from PFL vs. Bellator? Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim supply their closing ideas after a historic 10-fight card in Saudi Arabia.

PFL lastly will get its prizefight

Wagenheim: It took about half a second. No, I am not speaking about how lengthy it took for the PFL’s immense heavyweight champion, Renan Ferreira, to knock out Bellator’s outsized champ, Ryan Bader. That took 21 seconds. However after referee Kerry Healey pushed Ferreira away from a inclined, immobile Bader and waved off the struggle, it took about half a second for the tv feed to modify its focus to cageside and a smiling Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou, the PFL’s prized signee, had stated earlier within the week that he would face the winner of Saturday’s principal occasion when he makes his PFL debut later this yr. After all, the previous UFC heavyweight king has work to do first, as he’ll face former heavyweight boxing world champion Anthony Joshua in a boxing ring on March 9. That bout, Ngannou’s second as a boxer after final October’s tightly contested split-decision loss to reigning champ Tyson Fury, may also happen in Riyadh.

Ngannou was cageside Saturday on the makeshift out of doors enviornment, making for fairly an assemblage of heavyweights. UFC champ Jon Jones was there, as was boxing legend Mike Tyson, who was enlisted to wrap championship belts across the waists of the winners of the day’s PFL champion-vs.-Bellator champion bouts.

For a lot of the day, the Bellator fighters took dwelling the gold, successful all 5 fights earlier than the principle occasion. The PFL could have purchased Bellator MMA a couple of months in the past, however on today, Bellator owned the PFL.

Till the ultimate act, that’s. That is when the PFL received exactly what it needed. Ferreira, who has misplaced solely one among his final 10 fights, scored his fourth knockout in a row, with all however one coming in Spherical 1. Everyone knows what Ngannou is about. Now he’s lined as much as struggle a person with equally devastating energy.

For the PFL, it is a dream matchup paired with a nightmare of a ready sport. If Ngannou defeats Joshua in a few weeks, he’ll virtually certainly proceed with boxing, the place profitable alternatives will await. However when he is able to return to MMA, an awfully giant problem awaits.

Ferreira made the loudest assertion, however Nemkov may be the very best heavyweight

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Jon Jones weighs in on MMA diversifying, curiosity in preventing Francis Ngannou

Jon Jones joins the “PFL vs. Bellator: Champs” broadcast and predicts he would beat Francis Ngannou and different heavyweights in potential future matchups.

Okamoto: Do not be shocked if 12 to 18 months from now, we’re speaking about Vadim Nemkov as the very best heavyweight within the PFL/Bellator world. Sure, Ferreira knocked out Bader in spectacular style on Saturday, and he deserves the Francis Ngannou struggle greater than anybody. And he’s actually able to successful that struggle. The athletically gifted Ferreira has been on the radar of hardcores for a pair years now, and now we’re seeing that potential realized.

Besides, Nemkov is so confirmed at this level in his profession. He is well-rounded and he is not dramatically undersized at heavyweight. He ran by means of a former PFL champ in Bruno Cappelozza. Nemkov must wait his flip in a few of these alternatives, however sitting right here, proper now, I am unsure I would not decide him towards any of those different heavyweights, together with Ferreira and Ngannou. He is extraordinarily constant and carries heavyweight energy for a former mild heavyweight.

Let’s all watch and benefit from the Ngannou vs. Ferreira matchup it seems we’ll get within the close to future, however remember there may be a darkish horse lurking in Nemkov.

Bellator’s early funding in McKee-Pico might yield dividends for PFL

Raimondi: AJ McKee and Aaron Pico have been thought of the 2 cornerstones of Bellator’s future. Former Bellator president Scott Coker signed the 2 of them after they have been extraordinarily younger. McKee debuted in Bellator three days after his twentieth birthday in 2015. Pico was simply 18 when he put pen to paper in 2014.

McKee and Pico have been speculated to take the reins of Bellator from a few of the legends of yesteryear and carry the promotion into the long run. These best-laid plans did not fairly work out. Bellator sputtered out, and PFL acquired the corporate in late 2023 from dad or mum company Viacom. However, a couple of decade later, McKee and Pico nonetheless have an opportunity to be the main males of a model: PFL.

Each gained Saturday on the PFL vs. Bellator: Champs card in Saudi Arabia, every by definitive first-round finishes. McKee submitted Clay Collard with a splendidly slick armbar from a triangle on the underside. Pico pounded out Henry Corrales, who was coming in on brief discover, through TKO to avenge a earlier loss.

McKee has already fulfilled a few of his potential, successful the Bellator featherweight title. However he nonetheless has way more to point out at simply 28 years outdated. As soon as thought of the very best prospect in MMA historical past, Pico has solely achieved a fraction of what he’s able to after stumbling in his early 20s. At 27 years outdated, Pico appears to be like like one of the crucial polished fighters on this new roster. Ditto for McKee.

It won’t have been what everybody thought would occur 9 or 10 years in the past, however it’ll be fascinating to see what McKee and Pico can do on this new amalgamation of PFL and Bellator.