Francis Ngannou reminded the MMA world why he remains one of the most feared heavyweights alive on Saturday night, scoring a devastating first-round knockout over Philipe Lins during Netflix’s first live MMA event at Intuit Dome.
The former UFC heavyweight champion entered the event carrying major attention alongside the returns of Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, and Nate Diaz. By the end of the night, Ngannou once again stole the spotlight with another violent finish.
Lins Holds His Own Early Against “Predator”
Lins came into the matchup at a major size disadvantage, giving up close to 40 pounds against the massive Ngannou. Even so, the Brazilian veteran stayed active during the opening exchanges and forced Ngannou to work harder than many expected.
Ngannou landed the heavier punches from the start, but Lins moved well and answered back often enough to keep the fight competitive. The pace slowed briefly as both heavyweights searched for openings, and it appeared the contest might actually move beyond the opening round.
Ngannou Ends It With One Crushing Left Hand
Late in the first round, Ngannou exploded forward with a perfectly timed left hand that landed flush on the temple. Lins collapsed immediately as the crowd inside the Intuit Dome erupted.
The knockout added another highlight-reel finish to Ngannou’s resume. Nine of his last 10 victories have now ended by knockout, further cementing his reputation as one of the hardest punchers in MMA history.
While Ngannou showed some ring rust during portions of the fight, the finish erased any doubts about his power. Approaching 40 years old, “Predator” still looks like a nightmare matchup for any heavyweight in the sport.
Highlights here
Ngannou Calls Out Jones
In the post-fight interview, Ngannou turned his attention to Jon Jones, who was watching from the broadcast desk.
“Jon Jones is a great fighter, probably the best that has ever done MMA, but in terms of business, he still has some things to learn. And he should be watching what I’m doing and learn.”
“And if he gets it now, he should be able to figure it out and come and we’ll make this fight, because this fight can happen before he retires.”
“I believe he’s caged. He’s caged. He doesn’t know how to get out of the cage yet.”
Moments later, Jones responded from the desk:
“I don’t think Dana [White] is interested in doing business with Francis”
“If we can get out of my contract, that’d be great.”