RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – As far as Donn Davis is concerned, talk about the world’s top heavyweight should be focused on Saudi Arabia on Saturday, not New York in November.
Put simpler, the promotion’s co-owner thinks the PFL will have the best heavyweight in MMA after Saturday, not the UFC. And further, Davis implied that disputing that claim would take a cross-promotion of some kind with the UFC – an idea CEO Dana White essentially never has been keen to.
At PFL: Battle of the Giants (DAZN/ESPN+) at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (17-3) takes on Renan Ferreira (13-3) in a PFL heavyweight superfight title bout. Ngannou has boxed twice since he left the UFC, but hasn’t fought an MMA bout since January 2022 before he left the UFC for the PFL after a contract dispute.
At UFC 309, which takes place Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden, Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) is a massive favorite upwards of 7-1 against former champ Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC). Jones won the UFC heavyweight title after Ngannou vacated it.
And naturally, depending on which side is asked, the other side is ducking – either Jones or Ngannou.
“Our focus is on this Saturday,” Davis said after a Thursday news conference in Saudi Arabia for the pay-per-view. “This is the biggest fight in MMA in heavyweight this year. Francis, when he left the UFC, he was the pound-for-pound No. 1 and the heavyweight champion. And then Ferreira is the biggest rising star … This is the fight everybody wants to see. Whoever comes out of this fight is the No. 1 in the world. Whoever wants to claim the No. 1 spot goes through the winner of this fight, not through the UFC – this fight. Whoever wants to claim that position better be calling us after Saturday, not calling them.”
Jones has suggested his fight with Miocic might be his swan song. Ngannou is in his late 30s, as well. Absent cross-promotion, and reasonably soon, it seems like a Jones-Ngannou fight is a longshot at best.
But Davis implied it could happen if White wanted it to.
“We’ve said at the PFL we want to give the fans what they want, and that’s the best fights in the world,” Davis said. “Francis Ngannou? He said he’ll take on all comers. I think Jon Jones wants to cement his legacy. There’s only one obstacle to that fight, and we know who that is.”
After the UFC 309 heavyweight title fight between Jones and Miocic, the UFC has interim champ Tom Aspinall waiting in the wings, as well.
For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hubs for PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC 309.
