Former UFC and PFL Super Fights heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will make his return to MMA on May 16 as part of Most Valuable Promotions’ inaugural MMA fight card headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, ESPN confirmed on Monday.
Ngannou will face Brazil’s Philipe Lins in a five round heavyweight bout that will serve as the co-main event to Rousey-Carano, which will stream live on Netflix. It will be Ngannou’s first MMA fight since stopping Renan Ferreira in the first round for the PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship in October 2024.
“While the world was busy talking, I was busy evolving,” Ngannou said in a statement. “Silence shouldn’t be mistaken for absence-it’s the sound of a predator closing the distance. Stepping back into the cage isn’t just a return; it’s a reclamation. My return to MMA demanded a stage that matched the scale of my ambition, and partnering with MVP to bring this event to Netflix ensures the entire world is watching. I am ready for this new chapter, and I cannot wait to entertain my fans again and remind the world exactly who I am and what I am capable of delivering on a highest stage. #TheComeBack”
The announcement of Ngannou’s MMA return comes just days after he parted ways with the PFL after signing with the MMA promotion in 2023 with a unique deal that allowed him box and also serve as chairman of its PFL Africa division. He fought once for the promotion against Ferreira and competed twice in boxing, nearly pulling off a stunning upset of Tyson Fury in 2023 and suffering a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in 2024.
Ngannou, who was born in Cameroon, joined the PFL after failed negotiations with the UFC as their heavyweight champion. He won the UFC heavyweight championship back in 2021 when he knocked out Stipe Miocic and made a successful defense against Ciryl Gane in 2022. But he was stripped of the title after he and the UFC could not come to terms of a new contract.
“Francis Ngannou is unequivocally the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world, and his addition creates star power on one card like never before seen in the sport,” Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions, said in a statement. “Francis is one of the most feared knockout artists the sport has ever seen, and his return to MMA instantly makes this a historic night. Philipe Lins is a proven champion who built his reputation the hard way against elite competition and knows this is his chance to cement his legacy on the sport and take Brazil back to the top of the sport. Two heavyweight knockout artists. Ngannou vs Lins. Rousey vs Carano. Five rounds each. The global spotlight of Netflix. Saturday, May 16, will be one of the most significant nights in modern MMA.”
Lins has competed in the UFC, Bellator and PFL. He last fought as a light heavyweight in the UFC, winning four straight fights from 2022 to 2024 before being released by the promotion in March 2024. He also won the 2018 PFL heavyweight tournament but hasn’t competed as a heavyweight in nearly six years.
Ngannou vs. Lins will be contested under the Unified Rules of MMA over five, 5-minute rounds using 4oz gloves, inside a hexagon cage.
