Lineal MMA heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, undefeated in the sport since exiting the UFC as their heavyweight kingpin, returned to action at MVP MMA’s inaugural event in Los Angeles on Saturday, taking on fellow PFL and UFC vet Philipe Lins.
The Netflix card marked another huge fight for “The Predator,” who had made massive paydays for fights with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in boxing. Lins, meanwhile, entered a considerable underdog.
Fireworks went off within the first minute when Francis Ngannou landed a crushing knee to the head of an aggressive Philippe Lins. Undeterred by Ngannou’s power, Lins continued to press forward and pursued a takedown, but Francis was simply too strong to bring to the ground.
Once the fight returned to the feet, Ngannou quickly took control, picking his opponent apart while landing a number of powerful shots from the outside. Lins answered with an overhand right, but nothing was going to stop Ngannou from securing his first-round knockout. Moments later, Francis landed a beautiful overhand left that put Lins to sleep.
With the victory, Ngannou moves to 19-3 as a professional, with plenty of eyes now on what the heavyweight superstar will do next. On the other side, Lins drops to 18-6 in his first fight since appearing inside the UFC Octagon.
Following the bout, Jon Jones was seen at the broadcast desk, with Ngannou saying he believed a fight between the two could happen before they retired.
Official Result: Francis Ngannou def. Philipe Lins by KO, Round 1, 4:31
