Francis Ngannou made a violent statement in his MMA return, knocking out Philipe Lins with a left hook in the first round.
Ngannou mixed punches, kicks, and ground and pound before the referee stepped in at 4:31 of the opening round, sealing his first MMA fight since 2024 in emphatic fashion.
“I’ve got to give a lot of respect to Philipe,” Ngannou said after the bout. “He was tougher than what I thought. We have a tough guy here. He’s legit. If somebody doesn’t remember who I am, they must have amnesia or something. It’s just another reminder.”
The former UFC heavyweight champion then turned his attention to Jon Jones. “Jon Jones is a great fighter, probably the best that has ever done MMA but in terms of business, he should be watching me and learn,” Ngannou said. “This fight is going to happen before we retire.”
Ngannou also doubled down on his own place in the heavyweight conversation, calling himself “[Best heavyweight] period,” and adding, “That’s not a question. I’m the f*cking best. Period.”
Jake Paul, who was involved in promoting Ngannou on the event’s Saturday broadcast, was also name-checked. “Jake Paul is not running MVP. He’s just a blah, blah, blah guy. Nakisa runs the business. It was quite an easy process. Come on, I assume he’s a man now. Last time, I saw him he was still a boy. Maybe he has grown up.”
Ngannou previously scored a win over Renan Ferreira, and now has his sights set firmly on what comes next.
