Professional Fighters League and Uncrowned, the new combat sports media brand
from Yahoo Sports and Ariel Helwani, have partnered to provide fans with an alternate
cast experience for the ‘Battle of the Giants’ PPV event on Saturday, Oct. 19 exclusively
on DAZN worldwide
Star-studded Helwanivision cast for Ngannou vs. Ferreira to include NFL Super Bowl
Champion Rob Gronkowski, Global Superstar Jake Paul and more
Biggest MMA event of the year PFL Battle of the Giants live from the Maydaeen
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
NEW YORK (October 10, 2024) – Professional Fighters League (PFL), one of the fastest-growing and most innovative sports leagues, is proud to announce the ultimate alternate viewing experience for PFL Battle of the Giants on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fans who purchase the pay-per-view will have the option of watching the event via Helwanivision, an alternate broadcast where award-winning journalist Ariel Helwani and fellow members of the Uncrowned crew will provide a unique perspective and commentary live for the Battle of the Giants PPV. This exciting broadcast will be available exclusively on DAZN at 4pm EST.
In addition to real-time insights from the Uncrowned team, Helwanivision will also include guests from the combat sports world to offer fresh perspectives on the fight card and the live event itself. The guests will be a blend of experienced fighters, analysts from around the globe, and celebrities from the combat sports world.
Star-studded guests confirmed for the innovative alt cast include global superstar Jake Paul, NFL Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, MMA legend Chael Sonnen, former Invicta FC champion Megan Anderson, and MMA head coach Tim Welch. The first-of-its-kind simulcast hosted by Helwani will air live from Uncrowned’s brand-new studio in New York City.
“PFL is thrilled to team up with Uncrowned, Jake Paul, and Rob Gronkowski to create an innovative fan viewing experience for the biggest MMA pay-per-view event of the year,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “The 'Battle of the Giants' featuring Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira in the PFL Heavyweight world title fight will be exclusively on DAZN PPV worldwide on Saturday, October 19, live from the Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”
“We’re excited to debut Helwanivision during PFL’s signature event of the year,” said Ryan Spoon, President of Yahoo Sports. “Bringing the expert commentary from Ariel and crew to viewers on DAZN will be a fitting exclamation point to our Uncrowned launch week.”
“I have always had a huge interest in mixed martial arts and have followed Francis Ngannou’s career from the start. When I heard Francis was making his return to MMA in the ‘Battle of the Giants,’ I jumped at the chance to partner with the PFL and take part in the Helwanivision alt cast,” said NFL Super Bowl Champion Rob Gronkowski. “I look forward to catching the action and making some history along the way on October 19. See you all there!”
“I saw up close and personal how massive Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira are during their face-off in D.C.,” international superstar Jake Paul said. “On Saturday, Oct. 19 Francis is either going to show the MMA world why he is still the best heavyweight in the world or Renan will take over this throne. This is the best heavyweight MMA fight of 2024 and I’m looking forward to joining Ariel and the Uncrowned team on Helwanivision to break it all down live. MMA fans won’t want to miss this.”
In the main event of PFL Battle of the Giants, MMA superstar and undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world, Francis Ngannou (17-3) makes his highly anticipated return to the sport of MMA, as “The Predator” faces the most-feared heavyweight, 6-foot-8 2023 PFL Heavyweight Champion Renan “Problema” Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC) for the newly minted PFL Super Fights Championship Belt.
The co-main event will feature another major world title fight featuring the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all-time, Cris “Cyborg” (27-2, 1 NC), whose legacy will be on the line when she squares off against PFL two-division champion Larissa Pacheco (23-4), who looks to prove she is the greatest women’s MMA fighter on the planet.
ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA and the fastest-growing sports league worldwide. PFL has five live fight franchises, offering year-round content: PFL League Season, PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Challenger Series, PFL International Leagues, and Bellator. Founded in 2018, PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SURJ, Ares, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth sports business of this decade, with 650 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams.
ABOUT UNCROWNED
Yahoo Sports and award-winning journalist Ariel Helwani have teamed up to launch Uncrowned, a new combat sports media brand. Uncrowned is home to comprehensive MMA, boxing, and wrestling coverage, including The Ariel Helwani Show, The Craic with Petesy Carroll, and written reporting and analysis from Helwani and a world-class team of combat experts. Uncrowned officially launches on Monday, Oct. 14.
