JAKARTA - Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou is confirmed to return to the mixed martial arts (MMA) arena after being absent for 19 months.
The fighter, who is currently 39 years old, is scheduled to mark his comeback by facing Brazilian fighter Philipe Lins in a duel that takes place five rounds on May 16, 2026.
"When the world is busy talking, I am busy evolving. Silence should not be mistaken for absence, but it is the voice of a predator approaching," said Ngannou as quoted by BBC Sport.
The fight will be part of the inaugural card of the MMA event held by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) in Los Angeles, United States. The event will feature the main event between Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano.
"Going back into the octagon is not just about fighting again, but reclaiming what belongs to me. My return to MMA requires a stage that matches my ambitions," said Ngannou.
Ngannou last appeared in MMA in October 2024 when he stopped Renan Ferreira in the first round. The victory brought him the PFL Super Fights heavyweight title.
He previously left the UFC in January 2023 which was one of the big moments in the MMA world. As one of the biggest stars of the sport, the Cameroon-born fighter chose to leave the world's largest promoter before finally joining the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in May 2023.
Ngannou's popularity has increased after almost defeating Tyson Fury in a boxing match in October 2023. He then returned to the ring against Anthony Joshua in 2024, but the match ended in a KO defeat.
This week, Ngannou officially parted ways with the PFL and a day later came an announcement confirming that he had joined Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), a promoter owned by Jake Paul - a YouTube star who has recently switched to boxing.
"Francis Ngannou is without a doubt the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world. His presence creates a star power in a match card like never before in this sport," said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP.
Lins, who will be his opponent, is a former PFL heavyweight tournament champion and UFC veteran. The 39-year-old fighter last fought in March 2024 when he left the UFC with a record of four consecutive wins.
Francis Ngannou is back in MMA and is scheduled to duel against Philipe Lins (Instagram/@francisngannou).
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
