All articles tagged with #ngannou
Francis Ngannou will return to MMA on May 16 for Most Valuable Promotions' Netflix event headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, taking on Philipe Lins in a five-round bout at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Francis Ngannou is returning to MMA on a Netflix-broadcast card that features Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, scheduled for May 16, 2026 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Ngannou will fight former UFC heavyweight Philipe Lins, marking his first appearance since leaving PFL. The event, promoted by MVP and Netflix, will be Netflix's first MMA show, with additional undercard details to be announced later.
The Professional Fighters League has released Francis Ngannou after just one appearance in the promotion, as PFL pivots toward recruiting new talent for its 2026 schedule. Ngannou, 39, has largely focused on boxing against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and was briefly appointed PFL Africa chairman, but did not attend the 2025 Africa debut, making a UFC return unlikely per Dana White. PFL also plans a busy 2026 tour across multiple domestic and international stops after recently retiring its tournament format.
The PFL released its initial rankings under a new system, excluding Francis Ngannou from the heavyweight and pound-for-pound lists. CEO John Martin says these rankings are a starting point that will evolve over the next several months as fighters compete, with Ngannou still under contract and potentially a special project planned for him in 2026. The rankings are independently administered by Combat Registry.