Francis Ngannou will return to mixed martial arts after a 19-month absence when he faces Brazilian Philipe Lins on May 16.
This five-round heavyweight fight will be part of Most Valuable Promotions' (MVP) first MMA fight card, starring Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano in Los Angeles.
Former UFC champion Ngannou has not fought in MMA since October 2024, when the Cameroonian stopped Renan Ferreira in the first round to win the PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship.
"While the world was busy talking, I was busy evolving", Ngannou said.
Silence should not be confused with absence, it is the sound of a predator approaching. "
"Getting back in the ring is not just a comeback, it’s revenge. My return to MMA required a stage that lived up to my ambition, and my partnership with MVP to broadcast this event on Netflix ensures that the whole world will be there. "
Ngannou's departure from the UFC in January 2023 was a landmark moment in the world of MMA, with one of the sport's biggest stars choosing to leave the world's largest organization.
At 39, he joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in May 2023, but has only fought once for that MMA organization.
His notoriety exploded when he nearly beat Tyson Fury in a boxing match in October 2023, then faced Anthony Joshua in 2024, which ended in a knockout defeat.
He left the PFL this week and announced Monday that he was joining Jake Paul's MVP.
"Francis Ngannou is hands down the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world and his arrival brings to a card a star power never before seen in the sport", said Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP.
Lins, 40, is a former PFL heavyweight champion and UFC veteran who has not fought since leaving the UFC on a four-game winning streak in March 2024.
