Francis Ngannou makes his highly anticipated return to MMA this Saturday with his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (4 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV, with prelims at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+).
Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, has not competed in MMA since leaving the UFC. Instead, after signing with PFL in 2023, Ngannou tried his hand at boxing in matches against former heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, respectively. Ngannou lost both of those fights. During Ngannou's boxing venture, Ferreira went on a dominant run in the PFL, going undefeated in the cage since 2023 (four wins, one no contest). Each of Ferreira's wins came via knockout, including wins over Denis Goltsov for the 2023 PFL heavyweight championship and Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader at PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions in February.
In the co-main event, 2023 PFL women's featherweight champion Larissa Pacheco squares off with Bellator champion Cris Cyborg. Both fighters enter this matchup on extensive winning streaks, as Pacheco has won 10 in a row with her last loss being in December 2019 and Cyborg has won her last seven fights. Cyborg's most recent loss was to Amanda Nunes in December 2018.
Also on Saturday, middleweights Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira go head-to-head in the main event at UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with prelims at 4 p.m. on ESPN+).
Hernandez has won his last five fights, including finishes over his last three opponents. Pereira has also been on a streak, reeling off eight consecutive victories in the Octagon. His last loss was in February 2020.
Andreas Hale spoke to ESPN analyst and veteran MMA coach Din Thomas to get his perspective on the PFL Super Fights championships and his pick for the UFC main event. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds his insight and analysis on the main event and other intriguing bets he likes on the card.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.