I am the lineal heavyweight champion - Ngannou

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'I still have the real belt' - Francis Ngannou on being true champion

ByCoral BarryCombat Sports Senior Journalist

Published2 hours ago

Francis Ngannou believes he is the lineal heavyweight MMA world champion as he prepares to make his fighting return against Philipe Lins on Saturday in California.

The 39-year-old left the UFC as their reigning heavyweight champion and has won one MMA fight in the PFL since leaving the promotion in 2023.

While MMA has no official lineal championship line like in boxing, Ngannou is considered by many as the best heavyweight in the world - despite Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall becoming champions in the UFC in his absence.

Asked if he agreed with that view, Ngannou said "of course" and that he is defending the position against Lins.

"I never lost the UFC title but I didn't lose the PFL title either," he said.

Ngannou is among a host of ex-UFC stars fighting on the MVP-Netflix card, with Ronda Rousey headlining in her first MMA bout in 10 years.

The Cameroonian left the UFC at the height of his powers in a highly unusual move but has prospered outside the mammoth MMA promotion, earning millions in boxing and now fighting on Netflix.

Ngannou hopes MVP, fronted by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidaria, can offer a lucrative alternative for fighters.

Ngannou said the end of his time at the UFC was "horrible" as he fell out with the top brass and Dana White.

"It's very important that fighters have an alternative. I've been out there for a little while now and I understand why so many fighters are scared," Ngannou told BBC Sport.

"The [UFC] contracts are not fair - they give all the rights to the promoter and don't protect the fighter.

"The fighters are just an asset and they can get rid of you when they want. If you don't fight you don't get paid and you have no right to do anything else."

Leaving the UFC allowed Ngannou to earn significantly higher fight purses and pursue boxing.

Asked what his advice to younger fighters would be, Ngannou said: "If someone asks my advice I would say 'stand your ground and believe in yourself'.

"When making your decision you have to consider the worst case scenario and as long as you are OK with that scenario then you can live with that decision."

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'A good boxer' - Ngannou open to Paul fight

Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul shake hands — Image caption,
Jake Paul approached Francis Ngannou to fight last year before agreeing terms with Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul revealed earlier this week that his boxing career is in the balance as he continues to recover from a broken jaw he sustained against Anthony Joshua last December.

The American said he is currently unsure if he can fight again, but that has not stopped speculation and fighters calling him since.

Ngannou is among those who have expressed an interest, having already turned down a fight with the YouTuber-turned boxer last year.

The Cameroonian has two boxing fights on his record, a knockout loss to Joshua and a points defeat to Tyson Fury.

"I didn't say I want to fight Jake Paul. I said if he keeps insisting then maybe I will end up beating him up," Ngannou said on the prospect of a fight.

"He is a good boxer. I saw him from the beginning when no one believed in him and that he could become a professional - we thought he was just a content creator.

"But he managed very well to prove he is a legitimate boxer. I just don't think we are the same weight class."