Francis Ngannou returns to MMA this weekend with plenty of attention on his shoulders, but Philipe Lins believes he is about to shock the combat sports world.
Lins faces Francis Ngannou in the main event of MVP’s first-ever MMA card on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The event will stream live on Netflix, marking another huge crossover moment for the sport.
For Lins, the fight represents the biggest opportunity of his career.
“We’re already making history even before this fight happens, with this first event on Netflix,” Lins said.“A win over Francis Ngannou, with everything he’s done in MMA and the legacy he’s built, would permanently put my name in MMA history as the guy who beat Francis Ngannou. It would be like a work of art. Something that would take my career to a very high level.”
The Brazilian veteran enters the fight as the underdog and one of the lesser-known names on a card stacked with stars like Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. Still, that lack of recognition continues to fuel him.
Lins won the 2018 PFL heavyweight season and left the UFC in 2024 riding a four-fight winning streak. Despite the momentum, the promotion chose not to renew his contract after victories over fighters such as Ion Cutelaba, Ovince Saint Preux and Marcin Prachnio.
“That last fight in 2024 against Cutelaba was the final fight on my contract, and they decided not to renew it,” Lins explained.
“I wanted to stay with the promotion, but it was an internal decision on their side not to renew my deal. I’ll always be grateful for everything the UFC did for me and the opportunities they gave me.”
Still, Lins admitted the decision hit hard at first.
“When my manager told me the UFC wasn’t going to renew my contract, it was really difficult,” he said. “At the same time, I also felt a little responsible for it. Maybe my age also played a role in their decision. It was very hard at first, but as the days passed, I calmed down and got my head straight.”
Now, he gets a second chance on one of the biggest stages in MMA.Lins believes dragging Francis Ngannou into deep waters could be the key to victory in their five-round heavyweight clash.
“I’ll be prepared to fight all five rounds. I think the longer the fight goes, the better it is for me,” Lins said.
“I look at his fight against Stipe Miocic as an example. I’m going to frustrate him and look for openings. It’s very difficult to find holes in his game, but I’ll be ready to fight smart and use all my skills the right way.”
While Lins prepares for the biggest challenge of his life, Francis Ngannou has also opened up about his controversial UFC exit and why respect mattered more than money.
During a recent interview with Daniel Cormier, Ngannou explained that issues with the UFC became personal.
“It wasn’t money,” Francis Ngannou said.“I felt like I wasn’t respected at that point. When something touches my ego, I don’t care about anything. I was ready to walk away even if it meant going back to Africa to farm.”
Ngannou also made it clear that he never felt pressured to stay.
“I think my success is about my personality and how I apply it to everything I do,” he continued.“They underestimated me and kept trying to pressure me. I just wasn’t the right guy to deal with that that way.”
After high-profile boxing fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou now returns to MMA carrying massive expectations once again.
