3 things we learned from the Francis Ngannou Battle of the Giants presser

As a lifelong MMA enthusiast with a soft spot for heavyweight bouts, I must say the Battle of the Giants press conference was an electrifying spectacle that left me on the edge of my seat! The impending showdown between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira promises to be a titanic clash, and the fact that it will take place in Saudi Arabia adds a dash of exotic allure to the event.

On a Thursday, the Professional Fighters League held a press conference in Washington D.C., which they dubbed the Battle of the Giants. The event is scheduled for October 19th and will feature former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and the current PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira as the main event. In the co-main event, we’ll see a match between former UFC champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Larissa Pacheco of the PFL, who is the league’s only double champion. Here are three key points we learned from the press conference.

Francis Ngannou disputes UFC’s version of Jon Jones negotiations

It appears that the details surrounding the interactions between Jon Jones, Francis Ngannou, Dana White, and UFC leadership remain unclear, as each party seems to have their own version of events. Neither side has shown signs of backing down from their respective claims. While White and Jones contend that Ngannou refused to fight Jones, at a recent PFL Battle of the Giants press conference, Ngannou contradicted these statements.

In simple terms, Francis Ngannou stated that it appears the new storyline is being established due to Jones needing to make a decision either way. According to him, it was Jones who didn’t want to fight him, as reported. They would discuss fighting but were told it couldn’t happen because Jones supposedly no longer wants to fight or is content living in Albuquerque with his wealth. Ngannou suggested that the one who manipulates the storyline can say whatever they desire. However, that’s just the current tale as presented.

Battle of the Giants will take place in Saudi Arabia

Initially, when the event was unveiled, only the date along with the primary and secondary bouts were disclosed. Recently, it has been confirmed that the event will unfold at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – a detail we had all speculated about earlier, but now officially verified.

Francis Ngannou & Renan Ferreira got physical at their first faceoff

FIRST FACE OFF IS IN THE BOOKS!
PREDATOR VS PROBLEMA!!!#PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact | Riyadh, 🇸🇦 | Sat, Oct 19th
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 22, 2024

Initially, it seemed like the two guys were just having a good time, laughing and bantering with each other. However, things took a turn for the worse when Ngannou started poking at Ferreira’s muscles, which led to Ferreira striking Ngannou on the chest. Eventually, they had to be separated by Jake Paul.

2024-08-23 01:13