Francis Ngannou books MMA return on Ronda Rousey undercard

Francis Ngannou is set to compete on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano undercard, wasting no time signing for his next fight in the days since his PFL release.

Despite years of inactivity, ‘The Predator’ remains one of those names most fans immediately sit up in their seats for when a fight announcement surfaces. The Cameroon native left the UFC as the heavyweight champion, never losing his title and instead vacating it to pursue other career options. He would go on to shock the world in a controversial losing performance against Tyson Fury in boxing, and more recently, capture the PFL heavyweight Super Fights championship in his promotional debut.

Without a fight being scheduled for over a year, Francis Ngannou has turned his attention away from the PFL SmartCage. Announcing his return on social media, Ngannou stated that he would be facing fellow UFC veteran Philipe Lins on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano undercard.

“Hey, guys. Rumors are true,” Ngannou confirmed in a short video. “I’m joining the Rousey vs. Carano MMA fight on Netflix. I’ll be entering the cage against, to fight Philipe Lins from Brazil.”

The fight will be a five-minute, five-round bout between the two knockout artists. The titans have a combined 30 finishes throughout their MMA careers, likely meaning that the judges won’t be needed when they lock horns in May.

While his sight will be set on his next opponent, Francis Ngannou believes a win over Philipe Lins will potentially put him in a position to compete against Jake Paul.

“MVP is the promoter. So, who knows, maybe this means I’m one step closer [to] knocking out Jake Paul too,” Ngannou continued. “But first things first. Catch me on Saturday, May 16, on Rousey vs. Carano. Live only on Netflix.

Philipe Lins also spoke out after the news became public.

“I’ll be battling sports legend, Francis Ngannou, in Netflix’s first-ever MMA event, Rousey vs. Gina Carano, which will take place on May 16 on Saturday. Live and exclusive on Netflix.”

“I want to invite all of you to honor this great event, historical event. Remember on May 16, on Saturday, and exclusively on Netflix. I could on the support of all of you.”