Cameroonian MMA star Francis Ngannou is scheduled to return to the cage on 16 May in Los Angeles, facing Brazilian fighter Philipe Lins, event organizers announced Monday.
The 39-year-old former UFC heavyweight champion last competed in October 2024, stopping Renan Ferreira in his sole Professional Fighters League (PFL) bout. Ngannou formally parted ways with the PFL on 6 March.
Ngannou joined the PFL in 2023 following a high-profile contract dispute with UFC president Dana White. The Cameroonian, who holds an 18-3 MMA record, also pursued boxing, losing high-profile fights to British heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in October 2023 and March 2024.
His May comeback will occur outside the UFC and PFL, under MVP—a promotion founded by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in 2021 and streamed via Netflix. The card will be headlined by a women’s bout featuring American MMA star Ronda Rousey against former fighter and actress Gina Carano.
The event will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
