PFL fighter reportedly in coma, Conor McGregor loses money, Jon Jones reacts to Francis Ngannou's win: MMA News Roundup
A Bellator fighter under PFL's banner is reportedly in a coma for a prolonged period. The company hosted its mega event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, Oct. 19, headlined by Francis Ngannou's emphatic win over Renan Ferreira.
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Female MMA fighter in a coma for a month
Brazilian MMA fighter Daiane 'Lady Dai' Silva, who was set to make her Bellator (under PFL) debut on Sept. 14, is reportedly in a coma for over a month stemming from a botched weight cut. A former local champion in lightweight, this was Silva's first attempt to cut down to featherweight for a fight against Eman Almudhaf.
Brazilian MMA promotion Nacao Cyborg was the first to acknowledge the tragedy in a now-deleted Instagram post.
MMA journalist Drake Riggs, associated with Ariel Helwani's Uncrowned Combat and Yahoo Sports, confirmed the news on X. He added that PFL explicitly asked employees to keep the news under wraps and not discuss it with the media.
Jon Jones reacts to Francis Ngannou's PFL debut
Jon Jones has long been accused of ducking Francis Ngannou by fans and MMA social media. The mega clash never came to fruition with 'The Predator' leaving the UFC for a better deal at the PFL, and thus, the debate of who is the better heavyweight was never settled.
Both parties have blamed the other over the years for the fight not happening. Regardless, Jones issued a congratulatory message to Ngannou after the latter's win over Renan Ferreira on his PFL debut.
'Bones' wrote:
"What an amazing job Francis did tonight, displayed a complete MMA game. Great kicks, great takedowns. It feels good to see him shine. Wow congratulations Champ, I see you."
If Chael Sonnen's words are to be believed, Ngannou may have proved Jones utterly wrong with his performance. In a conversation with Ariel Helwani, Sonnen detailed the first-ever outside-of-cage encounter he had with Jones.
Jones gave Sonnen an eight-minute breakdown of the fight and predicted Ferreira would knock Ngannou out in the first round.
Conor McGregor loses money betting against Francis Ngannou's PFL debut
Ahead of Ngannou's fight with Ferreira, Conor McGregor shared online that he had bet $500,000 on 'The Predator' losing via knockout. If his prediction came true, he would have encashed nearly $1.7 million on the wager.
Unfortunately, Ngannou ruined his plans quite spectacularly. After the fight, McGregor vowed to get the money back. He also regretted picking a side instead of betting only on the outcome, as he did for Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.