Francis Ngannou demolishes Philipe Lins with first-round KO

LOS ANGELES: Cameroonian and French mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou reinforced his status as one of the most feared heavyweights with a devastating first-round knockout victory over Philipe Lins here at the Intuit Dome on Saturday.

The 39-year-old Cameroonian needed little time to make his statement, finishing the contest in emphatic fashion after landing a powerful left hook that left Lins unable to continue.

Ngannou, who walked away from the UFC as heavyweight champion in 2023, has long insisted he remains the lineal heavyweight champion despite there being no official recognition of such a title in MMA.

Many within the sport still regard him as the premier heavyweight fighter in the world because of his explosive power and dominant record.

Following the bout, Ngannou immediately turned his attention towards a potential super-fight with former UFC champion Jon Jones, who was working on the Netflix broadcast team during the event.

“Jon Jones is a great fighter, probably the best that has ever done MMA. But in terms of business, he still has something to learn, and should be watching what I am doing and learning,” said Ngannou.

“This fight needs to happen before we retire.”

Ngannou’s latest triumph follows his first-round stoppage win against Renan Ferreira in 2024 and further underlined his dominance outside the UFC.

Jones, who retired from competition in 2025 but remains tied to a UFC contract, admitted negotiations would be complicated.

The victory improved Ngannou’s professional MMA record to 19 wins and three defeats.