. THE FIGHTS .

PFL Super Fight: Ngannou vs. Ferreira

Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024 @ 10 AM PDT
Location: The Mayadeen, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Broadcast: ESPN+ Pay-Per-View (PPV) and on DAZN 

• Main Event: Francis Ngannou (-280) vs. Renan Ferreira (+240) (Heavyweight Title Bout)

• Betting Odds: Ngannou (-280) vs. Pereira (+240)

• Co-Main Event: Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco (Women’s Featherweight Fight)

• Betting Odds: Cyborg (+114) vs. Pacheco (+135)

The main event will feature a true “battle of giants” with Francis Ngannou (6'4") against Renan Ferreira (6'8"). The four-inch height difference gives Ferreira a significant reach advantage (85 inches vs. Ngannou’s 83 inches), which could be a critical factor in their clash. Both fighters possess knockout power, with Ngannou having 12 KOs and Ferreira 11. This matchup is expected to be explosive, as Ngannou looks to make a successful return to MMA after his stint in boxing​. Watch the promo video for this fight here.

UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira

Date & Time: Saturday, December 7, 2024
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast: Available on ESPN+

• Betting Odds: Hernandez (-135) vs. Pereira (+115)

Anthony Hernandez (#13) takes on Michel Pereira (#14) in a high-stakes middleweight bout. Hernandez, known for his aggressive grappling, faces Pereira’s dynamic striking style, setting up an exciting clash. Promo video for the fight is here.

BOXING

Tim Tszyu (24-1-0) vs. Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0-0)

Date & Time: Saturday, October 19th @ 8 P.M. PDT
Location: Caribe Royale, Orlando, Florida
Broadcast: Available on Amazon Prime

• Betting Odds: Tszyu (-140) vs. Murtazaliev (+120)

Aussie Tim Tszyu is set to face Bakhram Murtazaliev from Russia for the IBF Junior Middleweight title. Tszyu aims to capture the championship and continue his ascent in the division, while Murtazaliev looks to defend his title.

. THE HIGHLIGHTS .

Artur Beterbiev bests Bivol to become Undisputed Champ

Beterbiev eked out a decision last Saturday to become the undisputed Light Heavyweight Champ. Judges had it 114-114, 116-112, 115-113. But for Bivol fans, there’s a ray of hope. Famed boxing coach, Teddy Atlas, says that Bivol will come back much stronger after this defeat. “Bivol will be less accepted physically, whereas Beterbiev might be more impacted in a rematch. Who does it benefit more from a physical and emotional experience? I think it benefits Bivol more. Bivol will be better for that experience in the rematch,” said Atlas.

Brandon Royval Earns Split Decision Against Tatsuro Taira at UFC Vegas 98

The main event at UFC Vegas 98 was a flyweight bout between Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira. Royval was the firm favorite, but Taira gave him a run for his money. After five grappling-heavy rounds, Royval won by split decision, with the scorecards reading 48-47, 47-48, and 48-47.

Tom Aspinall on Standby for UFC 309 Heavyweight Title Fight

Tom Aspinall confirmed on the Helwani Show that he's officially the backup fighter for the heavyweight title fight at UFC 309 if Stipe Miocic or Jon Jones cannot compete. Whether Jones would accept a last-minute change of card, however, remains to be seen.

Jake Paul Makes $5 Million Offer to Mike Tyson

Jake Paul's playing the PR game with Tyson. He took to TikTok to say, "Mikey, Mikey, if you can last more than four rounds with me, I’ll give you an extra $5 million." He continues, "But, if you don’t, then you have to get a tattoo that says I love Jake Paul. Deal or no deal?"

Tyson responded, asking he up the offer to $20 million. Ha.

. THE HEAT .

Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria Bringing Top Tier Trash Talk

It's good to see that the art of pre-fight smack-talking is still alive:

Topuria: "No one’s gonna save you once that cage door closes."
Holloway: "The referee is gonna save you buddy."
Topuria: "You already know how it feels when you have to bounce back. You already have seven professional defeats; I have 0. You gonna do it once again, really well, I have no doubts about that."

Conor McGregor Wants to Smash Belal Muhammad's Skull

Conor McGregor is not happy seeing Belal Muhammad wearing a UFC belt, saying, "To think this bum is now a UFC champion with zero knockdowns on his resume whatsoever is so bad." He says he wants to crush his left hook into Belal's temple to take the crown from "the UFC's most abysmal zero-revenue generating fighter in modern history."

. THE BONUS .

Tony Ferguson says: "I'm Too Old to Retire!"

He may be on an eight-fight losing streak, but Tony Ferguson insists he'll see out his contract with the UFC. When asked by Demetrious Johnson if he plans to fight again, Ferguson said, "I left half a f*cking glove in there, and I got it back, so that just tells me I got both pairs of gloves." At least he plans to change things up with his training before he gets back out there.

. THAT’S ALL .

That’s all for now.

See you on the next edition.

Stay ready,
Fight Fan Crew 👊