Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will return to MMA after a 19-month absence, facing Philipe Lins in a five-round bout headlining the undercard of Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural event on May 16, 2026. The card, headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, streams live on Netflix from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Ngannou, 39, recently parted ways with the PFL on March 6 and signed with MVP, co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian.
The 39-year-old Cameroonian enters with an 18-3 MMA record and has not fought since knocking out Renan Ferreira in the first round at PFL's Battle of the Giants in October 2024 to win the Super Fights heavyweight title. That was his only bout after joining PFL in May 2023 following his January 2023 UFC departure amid contract disputes. During his PFL tenure, Ngannou served as chairman of PFL Africa, held a seat on the advisory board, and had equity in the organization despite a contract with one fight remaining nearing expiration. Away from MMA, he boxed, nearly upsetting Tyson Fury via knockdown in a controversial October 2023 split decision loss and suffering a second-round knockout to Anthony Joshua in March 2024.
Ngannou's UFC run was 12-2, including a 2021 knockout of Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title and a decision win over Ciryl Gane despite injury. His mutual release from PFL was announced March 6, 2026, enabling his MVP signing.
Opponent Philipe Lins, a 40-year-old Brazilian with an 18-5 record, is the 2018 PFL heavyweight tournament winner ($1 million prize via wins over Alex Nicholson, Caio Alencar, Jared Rosholt, and Josh Copeland). A UFC veteran (4-2, including heavyweight losses to Andrei Arlovski and Tanner Boser before light heavyweight drop), Lins was not re-signed after a March 2024 release despite a four-fight win streak capped by a unanimous decision over Ion Cutelaba at UFC 299.
The matchup features five five-minute rounds in a hexagon cage with four-ounce gloves. "While the world was busy talking, I was busy evolving," Ngannou said. "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."
MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian added, "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."
The main event pits MMA pioneers Ronda Rousey (39, absent since 2016) against Gina Carano (43, post-acting career), totaling over two decades out of competition combined. Ngannou cited Netflix's global reach as a key excitement factor.
