Brandon Royval, Brian Ortega shine at UFC Mexico City; PFL has Francis Ngannou’s opponent | Cageside

On this episode, Eric and John cover what was a busy weekend in MMA. PFL vs. Bellator ended with Renan Ferreira reigning supreme over Ryan Bader in just 21 seconds, potentially setting up the fight that would bring Francis Ngannou back to MMA. On the same night at UFC Mexico City, Brandon Royval earned an upset victory over Brandon Moreno and called for a rematch with champ Alexandre Pantoja. Is Brian Ortega next in line for Ilia Topuria? Hear why we think so. All this and more …
Timecodes
0:00 – Introduction
1:58 – Was the PFL the biggest winner on a busy weekend in MMA?
8:54 – Francis Ngannou’s path back to MMA clear – or is it?
11:12 – Renan Ferreira saves face for the PFL against Bellator
15:02 – A.J. McKee and Aaron Pico deliver big
21:03 – Brandon Royval delivers big at UFC Mexico City
29:18 – Did Royval earn his rematch with Alexandre Pantoja?
32:54 – Brian Ortega may have made the biggest statement on Saturday
39:46 – Ortega vs. Ilia Topuria next – in Spain
46:07 – Looking ahead to UFC 299 and the return of Sean O’Malley
51:55 – UFC Fight Night 238, black belt wrist locks and much more