Francis Ngannou will have a familiar name calling his return when Jon Jones joins the broadcast team for Ngannou’s fight against Philipe Lins at MVP MMA 1.
Ngannou vs. Lins is slated for the main card on Netflix from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., on Saturday, with Jones working the event as part of the broadcast. The heavyweight matchup comes as Jones is currently in a rift with the UFC and has asked for his release.
Ngannou acknowledged the unique twist of having Jones cageside in a new role. “Well, it's going to be very interesting to have Jon Jones in the same arena at night watching,” Ngannou said. He added, “It's very interesting to see how it's going to be, but we will see. It will be great. It adds to be what I'm saying, this event is just like one-standing event. Jon Jones never broadcast, did he?”
The two heavyweights were previously in discussions to fight while both were under the UFC banner, but the matchup did not happen. Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion who parted ways with the promotion, finished Renan Ferreira to win the PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship in October 2024.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Ngannou said, “I'm very excited about that, and I have been preparing myself for that,” and added, “Now we are ready. Just days away to go out there and showcase that.” Ngannou plans to remind people that he is the best heavyweight in the world in his upcoming fight.
