Netflix has added a notable fight to the upcoming Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano card. It was announced on Monday that former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will fight Philipe Lins for Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions.
Ngannou, who will turn 40 in September, is 18-3 in his career with 13 wins by knockout. As a UFC fighter, he became famous enough to appear in Jackass Forever and, like Carano and Rousey before him, he was in a Fast and Furious movie. He has also previously appeared on Netflix, making a cameo in Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon: Part One.
Ngannou has not lost a mixed martial arts fight since July 2018 when he lost back to back fights to Derrick Lewis and Stipe Miocic. The fight against Miocic was for the heavyweight championship. He's since won seven straight, including a knockout victory against Miocic to win the title in '21. After defending the belt against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 he was unable to get what he thought was a fair new contract from the UFC. So the UFC stripped him of his belt and he became a free agent.
Ngannou then had a brief foray into boxing where he lost to Tyson Fury via split decision and got knocked out by Anthony Joshua in March '24. He returned to MMA in October '24 and knocked out Renan Ferreira at PFL: Super Fights: Battle of the Giants for what Wikipedia calls the "symbolic" PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship.
Netflix has yet to announce whether this fight will be for a belt, symbolic or otherwise, but Ngannou didn't seem very concerned with that detail in a press release:
"While the world was busy talking, I was busy evolving,” said Francis Ngannou. “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. My return to MMA demanded a stage that matched the scale of my ambition, and partnering with MVP to bring this event to Netflix ensures the entire world is watching. I am ready for this new chapter, and I cannot wait to entertain my fans again and remind the world exactly who I am and what I am capable of delivering on a highest stage. #TheComeBack”
In the same release Lins said he was "very happy to be fighting on this card with so many legends."
Lins originally came to the UFC as a heavyweight on a four fight winning streak, but he lost his first two bouts to Andrei Arlovsky and Tanner Boser before dropping back down to light heavyweight. He then won four straight fights with the most recent taking place at UFC 299 in March '24 when he defeated Ion Cuțelaba via decision. Lins was released by the UFC later that month and eventually signed with Global Fight League, a new promotion still looking to get off the ground because of financial issues.
Lins weighed in to both his previous heavyweight fights in the 230's, which means Ngannou should have about 3" and 20-pounds on him, but Netflix technically has a former UFC heavyweight to take on the former UFC heavyweight champion which will sound good in auto-play videos.
After this announcement it will be interesting to see how much more they do to fill out the card. What other notable fighters are out there without UFC contracts? We should find out soon.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Netflix Adds Former UFC Heavyweight Champion to Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano Card.
