Cameroonian heavyweight sensation Francis Ngannou made a powerful return to mixed martial arts on Saturday night, delivering a first round knockout victory over Brazilian fighter Philipe Lins at the Intuit Dome in California.
Ngannou traded strikes and clinch exchanges with Lins before ending the contest in dramatic fashion with a crushing left hand to the head in the closing minute of the opening round.
The victory marked only the veteran fighter’s second MMA appearance in the last four years, but he wasted no time hinting at potential blockbuster matchups ahead.
Speaking after the bout, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion expressed his interest in finally facing American star Jon Jones, also known as “Bones,” before both fighters retire from the sport.
Despite being regarded as two of the most dominant champions in MMA history, Ngannou and Jones have never shared the cage. However, arranging the fight could prove difficult, as Jones remains under contract with the UFC despite announcing his retirement.
Jones, who was present as part of Netflix’s commentary team, revealed he would be open to fighting Ngannou if he could resolve his contractual situation.
Ngannou also traded playful remarks with American boxer and influencer Jake Paul about a possible future showdown. Paul has built a reputation in boxing by defeating former MMA fighters.
Ngannou captured the UFC heavyweight title in 2021 and unified the championship in 2022 before leaving the promotion. Since then, he has competed sparingly in MMA and suffered defeats in high-profile boxing matches against British heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia.
