3 crucial questions that will shape the PFL's future

Key questions will be answered in this weekend's heavyweight clash in PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Getty Images, licensed to MMAwork.com (October 2024)

1. Will Ngannou return to MMA this weekend as the dominant fighter that left the UFC two years ago?

Francis Ngannou - having been away from MMA for two years - returns this weekend to fight Renan Ferreira. With the former known for his devastating knockout power - most recently demonstrated with a knockout of Stipe Miocic in early 2021 - this weekend's main event will test whether Ngannou can maintain his dominance after years away from the sport.

Key question - will Ngannou return and reassert his claim as arguably the most dangerous heavyweight in MMA? We think so - that is unless Ferreira pulls out one of the biggest upsets of the year in MMA.

2. Does Ferreira have the sufficient skillset to pull out arguably the MMA upset of the year?

Renan Ferreira - having finished all of his last 4 fights - without a doubt faces his toughest challenge yet.

An underdog according to the oddsmakers, Ferreira would arguably pull out the upset of the year with a win - catapulting him up the heavyweight ranks, and raising serious questions about Ngannou's future.

Given the former's knockout power, combined with his recent finishing streak - does Ferreira have the full set of skills to pull off a career-defining win against Ngannou? We are not completely convinced.

Nevertheless, Ferreira's power in unquestionable, as illustrated in his fight with Ante Delija back in 2022.

Embedded from PFL MMA (October 2024)

3. What implications will the result have for PFL and the MMA heavweight division(s)?

With both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic nearing the end of their careers, the MMA heavyweight divisions are truly in a transitional phase - also with Tom Aspinall recently rising impressively through the ranks in the UFC. A strong performance by Ngannou this weekend could potentially set him up for a superfight with Jon Jones - or at least an extremely stimulating match-up with Aspinall. That, of course, assumes that Ngannou can actually reach an agreement on his terms with the UFC, which has previously proven to be difficult.

While we wait for the heavyweight clash, take a few moments to watch the preparations of Ngannou ahead of the fight - talking about his newfound motivation after the very tragic recent loss of his son.

Embedded from PFL MMA's Youtube channel (October 2024)

MMAWork will be covering the event in entirety, with predictions, full results and analysis during the course of the weekend. You can also test our Fight Predictor, and try to predict the results of the fights.