Francis Ngannou stops Renan Ferreira in first round of MMA return at PFL Super Fights
In the co-main event, Brazil’s Cris Cyborg beat compatriot Larissa Pacheco by unanimous decision in a gruelling back-and-forth contest.
In a fight where momentum changed multiple times, Cyborg, 39, was the more aggressive as she cemented her legacy as one of the best female MMA fighters in history.
The bout was billed as a champion versus champion contest, with Cyborg the reigning Bellator featherweight title holder and Pacheco winning the 2023 PFL featherweight global league.
Cyborg referred pre-fight to the contest as her “legacy tour” and was tested by Pacheco like few others have been able to.
During a glittering 19-year-career which has included championship victories across multiple promotions, she has now won 28 fights, lost two, and has not been defeated since 2018.
The first round was action-packed, as Cyborg landed two takedowns either side of a vicious head kick.
Pacheco, as she would show throughout the bout, displayed remarkable durability as she fought back, opening a cut above both of Cyborg’s eyebrows.
Cyborg was not fazed, delivering an eye-catching spinning backfist before landing another takedown, but momentum would swing back in Pacheco’s favour in the third.
Pacheco taunted a stationary Cyborg, demanding engagement in the centre of the cage, before securing a takedown of her own and controlling the action on the ground.
In a gruelling contest, Cyborg started to save her attack for blitzes as she rushed forward multiple times, landing a flurry of strikes, but Pacheco once more would recover as the fight entered the final round.
Cyborg launched a couple of big overhand rights in the closing stages but as the bell rang, both fighters raised their arms in the air, believing they had done enough to secure victory.
As the judges’ scores were read out, Cyborg was declared the victor, before she was awarded a commemorative belt – the fifth title of her magnificent career.
“Larissa is a legend in sports. She punches really hard. She’s a really good fighter. It’s a pleasure for me,” said Cyborg.
“I feel very blessed. Very thankful. The time difference is really difficult for me. I have two more fights, I want to defend this title.”
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