5 hours ago
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Renan Ferreira defeated his heavyweight rival Ryan Bader in 21 seconds
Renan Ferreira stopped Bellator's clean sweep of the PFL's best fighters by defeating Ryan Bader in the Champion v Champion event in Saudi Arabia.
Bellator held a 5-0 lead after heavyweight Ferreira floored his rival with a right hand in 21 seconds.
“I am the real problem,” Ferreira, 34, said before confronting Ngannou.
“I am the record breaker, the record holder. Francis, where are you? I'm waiting for you.”
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) was in danger of being overrun before the 6-foot-2 Ferreira stepped into the cage to hand the 40-year-old Bader his first defeat in the heavyweight division.
American lightweight AJ McKee's masterful first-round submission of Clay Collard ushered in Bellator dominance, with middleweight champion Johnny Eblen and welterweight champion Jason Jackson also winning.
The fight night was the first major MMA event in Saudi Arabia as the region continues to pour money into the sport despite the country having long been criticized for using the sport to distract from its poor human rights record.
Bellator stars shine brightest
Not since the UFC took over Japanese club Pride in 2007 have the best fighters from two major promotions come together under one roof.
PFL has decided to join the rivalry with cards specifically designed to pit their best fighters against Bellator's.
The event, the first major MMA show in Saudi Arabia, was hailed as the PFL's biggest ever and a huge step forward for an MMA world that is often rooted in tribalism and where promoters come from afar rather than in Cage shoot at each other.
But between the flashes and fire and the repeated mention of the custom-made belts and rings for the Champion vs. Champion winners, the spectacle itself fell flat at times – the murmurs of spectators and instructions in the corners were clearly audible during the fight.
But after Bellator piled up the wins, PFL chiefs were relieved to see their middleweight champion Impa Kasanganay push Eblen to the climax before Ferreira peaked.
The 32-year-old Eblen appeared to be on his way to his 15th straight victory before an explosive sequence from Kasanganay in the second round turned the fight on its head.
A short right hand took down Eblen, who managed to get back to his feet before being sent back to the canvas by an uppercut.
Eblen fought his way to survival and then came away with remarkable momentum in the final round with an even fight.
Despite having one eye swollen shut, Eblen decided to keep the fight on his toes and slowly regained control over a tiring Kasanganay.
“It was a close fight. He caught up with me in the second lap. I had to compete and be a champion,” Eblen said.
“I only survived for a while. I gathered my wits before I went back to dominating the fight.”
Are the winds changing in MMA?
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AJ McKee opened the new era with a quick win over Clay Collard
As Saudi Arabia's vast wealth crowds out long-standing rivalries in boxing, the PFL is clearly confident the same can happen in MMA, with the UFC set to hold its first event there in June.
But as you made progress in the cage, just a few meters from the action, you were reminded of the obstacles that stood in the way of a real advertising cooperation.
Ngannou was joined cageside by UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
The 36-year-old Jones even appeared on the broadcast and the PFL took the opportunity to talk about a possible duel with Ngannou.
Ngannou will make his PFL debut this summer, but UFC president Dana White has always scoffed at the idea of cross-promotional events in any form.
While this was announced as two promotions coming together, PFL purchased Bellator in November and now owns all of its assets, including the fighters and their contracts.
Jones, who is expected to face Stipe Miocic when he returns from injury later this year, expertly sidestepped the elephant in the room and stopped short of calling out Ngannou directly or mentioning his employers.
“There are a lot of fights that the world wants right now,” Jones said.
“Francis and I would be huge. And Stipe is still a respectable opponent for the hardcore fans.”
“My prediction is that I will beat Stipe, my prediction is that I will beat Tom Aspinall and Francis Ngannou.”
“The way it's turning out is really none of my business. My job is to do what I’ve always done from day one.”
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