PFL boss Donn Davis vows to spend more than UFC 306's $20million budget on Francis Ngannou comeback event as Bellator title fight added to card
09/17/2024 02:33 PM
PFL have set sky-high goals for their latest ‘super fight’ pay-per-view event, and will pump in massive money to make it happen.
The young promotion, who are referred to in some circles as MMA’s co-leaders, are staging an ambitious fight night in Riyadh on October 19. The main event will feature the return of lineal UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who has spent two years off taking on world champions in the boxing ring.
They have stacked the undercard as well, with the co-main event featuring the legendary Cris Cyborg against Larissa Pacheco. Paul Hughes vs AJ McKee was added last week, and today they have confirmed a Bellator middleweight title rematch between Fabian Edwards and Johnny Eblen.
- Who is Dana White? All you need to know about the CEO and President of the UFC
PFL confirm Bellator middleweight title rematch for Battle of The Giants PPV
After already packing their big Saudi Arabian pay-per-view with stars early on, PFL have pulled out all of the stops in order to make for as big an event as possible. After being forced to reschedule the headliner of Bellator London last week, they have pushed the bout between Edwards and Eblen to October.
The pair battled it out in September of last year, with the American landing a stoppage victory after being badly cut in an otherwise difficult outing. Fabian, whose brother Leon Edwards is a former UFC welterweight champion, has been pushing for Bellator gold for years and gets a second chance.
The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will play host to the rematch that fans have been waiting for since last year. “Counting down the days until I get to say I'm the best middleweight in the world,” Edwards wrote on Instagram just before the announcement.
After the bout got moved, Eblen stayed relatively quiet, simply writing in one Instagram message: “Fight got pushed, no biggie, I stay ready.”
PFL boss Donn Davis declares they will spend more than UFC’s Sphere show for Riyadh showcase
Last weekend, the UFC brought live sports to The Sphere in Las Vegas for the first time, with promoter Dana White pumping in massive money to make the event a success. He has claimed to have spent over $20million production alone, as well as funding the purses for stars like Sean O’Malley.
That show was backed by Riyadh Season, with the promotion selling naming rights to the event for the first time in 306 events. The event was branded Noche UFC: Riyadh Season, and was heavily funded by boxing supremo Turki Alalsheikh.
But PFL have their own investment in Saudi Arabia, and have put even more money behind a monster fight card to take place in the country on October 19. "The cost of this fight is astronomical," Co-founder Donn Davis told the New York Post.
"Dana White talks about his $20million Sphere event; this is more. Fighters here make more. The card here that will be announced has more big fights coming. This cost to us is more than his cost at The Sphere."
