PFL Battle of the Giants takeaway: Ngannou’s two-sport plans, need for Cyborg-Pacheco rivalry

PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was headlined by three title fights between PFL and Bellator. Johnny Eblen successfully defended his title in a rematch against Fabian Edwards, while PFL debutants Francis Ngannou and Cris Cyborg won Super Fights belts against Renan Ferreira and Larissa Pacheco, respectively. Now that the dust has settled, what’s next for the three winners? Andreas Hale, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim offer their final thoughts on the event.

---

What’s next for “The Baddest Man in the World”?

A break – although I have to say I don’t know how long Ngannou wants to take a break.

It was incredible that he wanted to take this fight. Kobe, his son, died at the end of April and we are only mid-October. He didn’t even have six months to come to terms with his loss. He took up the fight to honor his 15-month-old son and, I believe, to grieve. Ngannou is the type of person who grieves while moving rather than sitting still. This fight gave him something to invest his pain into.

What’s changed after it’s over? At Saturday’s post-fight press conference, he essentially said he would grieve for the rest of his life – which, of course, he will. I expect that once the dust settles from this fight, it won’t be long before Ngannou craves another challenge to invest that pain in, because he’s not the type of person to deal with that can come to terms with. The good news is that I believe he will have options. Somehow, every year he finds incredible new ways to inspire. As he said in his post-fight interview, he has found something of a home in Saudi Arabia, where he has had his last three fights (two boxing, one MMA), and the promotional powers will certainly want him back – and pay for it.

I expect his next fight will be in a boxing ring, but it will depend on how certain dominoes fall. The PFL has already stated that it wants its Super Fights champions to defend the belts. I believe we will see Ngannou back in contention in the first half of next year and I believe he will get two appearances one way or another. –Okamoto

---

A Cyborg-Pacheco rivalry is the best case scenario for PFL, women’s MMA

Cris Cyborg won a unanimous decision over Larissa Pacheco to become the PFL Super Fight women’s featherweight champion. Cyborg won another world title at the age of 39 and still has the claim to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport. However, due to the competitive nature of the fight, which left Cyborg’s face a bloody mess of cuts and bruises, this may have been the best possible outcome for PFL.

With Ngannou and Eblen winning handily and no worthy challenger, the PFL could benefit from a rivalry that would bring attention back to the product. A rematch between Cyborg and Pacheco provides relief as fans can get excited about it.

That’s only natural considering how the fight turned out.

Although the score was 49-46, the fight suggested that the 30-year-old Pacheco could eventually become Cyborg’s successor. Cyborg was forced to use a different plan and fight tactfully instead of blowing away the competition with her power. The multi-time world champion fought intelligently and mixed takedowns with her punches, a significant departure from her calling card of overpowering the opponent. But Pacheco – the only woman to defeat current UFC title contender Kayla Harrison – is younger, faster and arguably stronger than her counterpart.

It was a battle of youth versus experience, with Cyborg winning on points but Pacheco doing more damage. It was the first time Cyborg was forced to use her intelligence instead of her strength to win a fight. A fact that became clear in the third round when Pacheco beckoned her to a firefight in the center of the cage. A younger cyborg would have happily answered the call. However, this wiser version of Cyborg relented and acted wisely rather than let her ego get her into a fistfight that could have ended badly for her.

Even though Pacheco lost, she has something to build on in the rematch. She now knows what she’s up against and the rematch would undoubtedly bring some intrigue because of the adjustments they’ll have to make.

Rivalries are always best for business in combat sports, and the PFL has one that helps strengthen its product and women’s MMA. With Cyborg still having two more fights under contract, a rematch seems likely – and necessary. — Hale

---

There is little for Johnny Eblen to do in the new PFL

Finding himself in a no-win situation, Eblen stepped into the cage to defend his Bellator middleweight championship against a challenger he had eliminated barely a year ago. How was he supposed to top that performance? As it turned out, he didn’t top it, but Eblen, 32, managed to get his hand raised for the second time against Fabian Edwards, 31. This one went the distance and was competitive.

So should they just do it again?

I’m being facetious. There is no need to go the trilogy route when one fighter is 2-0 against the other. But I mention this scenario to lead me to this question: What Is went to Eblen?

He’s one of the best 185-pounders in the world – No. 5 in the ESPN rankings – but he’s a champion with no clear challenger. He has defeated Bellator’s No. 2 middleweight, Edwards, twice. The next in line could be Anatoly Tokov, and Eblen has beaten him too. A better rematch would have been against Gegard Mousasi, but Bellator’s parent company, the PFL, released him and Mousasi is fighting the company, he is suing.

A move to the PFL is not possible for Eblen because there is no 185-pound class. What will the matchmakers do next with Eblen? Or is it time to consider a move to the UFC? – Wagenheim