After nearly three years away from mixed martial arts, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made a stunning return, knocking out 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira in the first round of the PFL: Battle of the Giants event at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena. Ngannou’s debut underlines the Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) ambitions to stand toe-to-toe with the UFC—a mission driven forward by a significant $100 million investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) through SRJ Sports Investments.
SRJ, a fund dedicated to boosting Saudi Arabia’s sports sector and expanding influence in the MENA region, identified the MMA scene and PFL specifically as a high-impact growth opportunity. According to PFL co-founder Donn Davis, the capital infusion from SRJ has empowered the PFL to make major moves: it facilitated the acquisition of Bellator, brought on top-tier talent like Ngannou (who earned over $10 million for his debut fight), and laid the groundwork for establishing PFL as a global MMA heavyweight.
PIF’s backing through SRJ aims to develop MMA within Saudi Arabia and expand PFL’s presence worldwide. A key part of this vision is launching six regional leagues by 2026, including PFL Africa, which Ngannou will chair. This investment reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader ambitions to leverage sports as a cornerstone of its economic and cultural influence on the world stage.