Francis Ngannou is back to remind everyone exactly why he remains one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in MMA history. While the UFC doesn’t officially rank atheles across eras in the way that other professional sports do, it has been widely acepted by fans of the sport that Ngannou was the closest to a G.O.A.T that the UFC has got and was something like the peak of heavyweight dominance. Since the fighter stepped away earlier this decade, his only other MMA fight has been a first-round stoppage victory with Renan Ferreira in 2024. Still the question was hanging in the air: can the most feared knock artist still hold his own?

This Saturday night answered that question quickly.

Image Credit: Getty Images for Netflix // Forbes

The former UFC heavyweight champion scored yet another first-round knockout victory when he flattened Brazilian heavyweight Philipe Lins at MVP MMA 1 in California. The highly publicized fight was part of the Netflix-backed event headlined by the returns of Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, billed as a new era for crossover combat sports. Despite the spectacle surrounding the card, the night once again ended with Ngannou becoming the main conversation, further extending one of the most intimidating résumés in heavyweight MMA history.

Over the years, and across several MMA appearances, Ngannou has built a reputation around frightening efficiency, with the overwhelming majority of his victories coming via knockout. He remains one of combat sports’ definitive knockout superstars. After leaving the UFC in one of the most dramatic contract disputes in modern MMA history, Ngannou successfully repositioned himself as both athlete and power broker competing in blockbuster boxing matches, signing groundbreaking deals, and helping reshape conversations around fighter pay and athlete freedom. For some critics, questions lingered about whether the long periods away from MMA would dull the terrifying explosiveness that once made him the scariest man in combat sports. With his performance on Saturday night, Ngannou answered those doubts immediately.