Francis Ngannou to make MMA return on Ronda Rousey v Gina Carano MVP card

Francis Ngannou will return to blended martial arts after a 19-month absence when he faces Brazil’s Philipe Lins on May 16.

The five-round heavyweight bout might be a part of Most Valuable Promotions’ (MVP) inaugural MMA struggle card, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano in Los Angeles.

Former UFC champion Ngannou has not fought in MMA since October 2024, when the Cameroonian stopped Renan Ferreira in the first round to win the PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship.

“While the world was busy talking, I was busy evolving,” mentioned Ngannou.

“Silence shouldn’t be mistaken for absence – it’s the sound of a predator closing the distance.

“Stepping again into the cage is not only a return – it is a declare. My return to MMA demanded a stage that matched the dimensions of my ambition, and partnering with MVP to deliver this occasion to Netflix ensures your complete world is watching.”

Ngannou’s exit from the UFC in January 2023 was a massive moment in MMA as one of the sport’s biggest stars opted to walk away from the world’s biggest promotion.

The 39 year-old joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in May 2023, but fought just once for the MMA promotion.

His status rocketed when he came close to beating Tyson Fury in a boxing contest in October 2023, and he went on to face Anthony Joshua in 2024, which ended in a knockout defeat.

I’ve part ways with the PFL this week and it was introduced on Monday that he had joined Jake Paul’s MVP.

“Francis Ngannou is unequivocally one of the best heavyweight MMA fighter on the earth and his addition creates star energy on one card like by no means earlier than seen within the sport,” said Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founders of MVP.

Lins, 40, is a former PFL heavyweight match champion and UFC veteran who has not fought since exiting the UFC on a four-fight win streak in March 2024.