Mega Fight! Ngannou surprises and reveals that his opponent at the Netflix event would be a legend of combat sports.

Ngannou focused before a boxing match. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/francisngannou

Despite being a star in combat sports, Francis NgannouMeanwhile, he has become a kind of wanderer. After stints in the UFC and the PFL, the Cameroonian has now signed a contract with Netflix to participate in his first MMA event. In it, the feared athlete will face... Philip Lins on May 16th in California (USA), but the original plan was quite different.

At the press conference to promote the show, held last Tuesday (10), Ngannou gave details of his departure from the PFL and revealed that he was in negotiations to hold a super fight against Rico Verhoeven at the Netflix MMA event. It is worth noting that while the Cameroonian was the UFC heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg), the Dutchman is one of the best kickboxing fighters in history.

But, to the dismay of 'The Predator' and the fans, the former Glory heavyweight king opted to face Oleksandr Usyk, a boxing star, on May 23rd in Egypt, more precisely at the Giza Pyramids. Therefore, Ngannou lamented not being able to face a big name in combat sports, but approved Philipe as a 'plan B' to compete in the important event.

“It was a process that had been unfolding for a few months. I think we've been in this situation since probably January, when I found out I wouldn't have any more fights in the PFL. So, I started looking for another option and then, two or three weeks ago, I was contacted by Nakisa. Originally, it was a big name. No disrespect to Philipe, but originally, it was Rico,” said the athlete.

“He called me and asked what I thought about fighting Rico in MMA. I was like, ‘Wow, that sounds great! I’d never thought about it, but I think it’s a good opportunity.’ But Rico signed to fight Usyk and wasn’t an option. So, we were looking for a replacement and Philipe emerged as the best option. There were a few names, but among them, Philipe was the best option. So, they chose him,” he concluded.

Ngannou's Fighters

Francis Ngannou, 39 years old, is a star of combat sports. The Cameroonian began his MMA career in 2013 and built a record of 18 wins, 17 by stoppage (13 by knockout and four by submission), and three losses. In the sport, the athlete was the UFC heavyweight champion and won the PFL heavyweight super fight belt.

His main triumphs were over alistair overeem, Cain Velazquez, Cyryl Gane, Curtis blaydes (twice), Junior Gypsy e Stipe MiocicOn the other hand, in boxing, Ngannou fought two fights and lost both to Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury via knockout and split decision, respectively.