Francis Ngannou is returning to mixed martial arts, and he will be doing it on a big Netflix show. After crossing over to boxing events (and going 0-2 vs. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua) and then scoring a dominant PFL championship victory in 2024, Ngannou returns to MMA to face Brazil’s Philipe Lins (18–5, 4 submissions, 9 KOs). Ngannou-Lins will be added to the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card, set for May 16th inb Los Angeles. The matchup is part of Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event and Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast. “While the world was busy talking, I was busy evolving,” Ngannou said. “Silence shouldn’t be mistaken for absence — it’s the sound of a predator closing the distance. Stepping back into the cage isn’t just a return; it’s a reclamation.”
A dangerous fighter in his own right, Lins expressed gratitude ahead of the monumental fight night: “To be part of the first MMA event on Netflix is going to be amazing. I’m very happy to be fighting on this card with so many legends. We’re going to make history.”
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
FEB. 17, 2026: Ronda Rousey is back, and she’s ready to return to combat sports. Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix announced the mixed martial arts event that will be headlined by the return of former UFC champion and Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey (12-2, 9 submissions, 3 KOs), who’ll compete in her first fight in nearly a decade against fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano (7-1, 1 submission, 3 KOs). The five-round fight will take place on May 16th at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Each round will last five minutes, as is typical in MMA. The bout will be contested with a 145-pound weight limit inside a hexagon cage. It will stream live globally on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers.
“After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary,” Gabe Spitzer, Netflix VP of Sports, says. “These are more than just athletes — they are generational stars, and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”
Rousey shattered the glass ceiling for women’s MMA during a record-setting run from 2011 to 2016. An Olympic medalist in judo, Rousey racked up several submission and TKO / KO victories, many of which came within one minute of start time. After a dominant reign as UFC bantamweight champion, Rousey catapulted the WWE women’s division toward its first WrestleMania main event in history. Her star power is also on display via appearances in both the Fast and the Furious and The Expendables franchises.
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey tells Netflix. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
It’s no coincidence that Rousey’s return will be against another legend of the sport. Carano says, “Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us.”
Carano is one of the first combat sports stars to cross over into the entertainment industry after her MMA tear from 2006 to 2009 — a time before women were invited to compete in the UFC. Carano’s marketability and mainstream appeal outside of fighting led to an acting career. She earned major roles in Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and The Mandalorian. She also headlined the first major MMA main event to feature two women in 2009, a landmark moment for the sport.
