From UFC Champion to Co-Main Event: How Did Francis Ngannou Get Here?
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There was a time when Francis Ngannou felt untouchable.
Not just because of the knockouts or the seemingly ungodly power. But because he was the heavyweight division. When he held the belt in the UFC, everything ran through him.
And that’s a common theme with heavyweight prize-fighting. When the heavyweight division is on, nothing else compares.
But now? On May 16th, Ngannou, in theory, steps onto one of the biggest stages in combat sports, a global card streamed on Netflix. A massive opportunity with a world-wide audience. The kind of platform fighters dream about.
Co-Main Event
But he’s not the headline and he’s barely being spoken about. The main event belongs to Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, which is a nostalgia fight, a spectacle. And somehow, the most dangerous man on the card is playing second. So the question is simple, how did we get here?
Ngannou didn’t fall off. He didn’t lose his edge. He didn’t fade into irrelevance inside the fight game. If anything, he left the UFC on top; on his terms, as a dominant champion who refused to play by the promotion’s rules, which is respectable and it should’ve made him bigger.
Instead, it made him… different.
Because the moment Ngannou stepped away from the UFC, he also stepped away from the machine that builds and maintains stars. The UFC doesn’t just promote fighters, it controls the narrative around them. It decides who headlines, who gets pushed, and who stays in the spotlight.
Boxing Hindered Ngannou?
Outside of that system, even someone like Ngannou has to fight for positioning. And he did well, at the start. He had two huge boxing bouts with two heavyweight legends in Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The latter, to which he lost by devastating Knockout. And while many weren’t surprised, it did allow Ngannou to lose some mystique or “aura” as the kids say.
And that’s what this co-main event slot represents. It’s not a demotion in terms of talent, it’s not a reflection of ability, it’s a reflection of how the fight business actually works in 2026.
Name value, storylines and familiarity. Rousey-Carano checks every box for a mainstream audience. It’s recognizable, it’s easy to sell, and it reaches beyond hardcore fans into something bigger.
Ngannou? Yes, he has name value to an extent. But as previously mentioned, it just feels different, now. People need to remember that there’s still an undeniable factor to Francis. He brings danger.
Real, highlight-reel violence. The kind that doesn’t need a backstory because the moment speaks for itself. When he fights, people watch. But, not always for the same reasons they tune into a headline attraction. And that’s the disconnect.
Because in today’s fight game, being the most dangerous man in the world doesn’t guarantee you the top spot anymore. Being the most marketable does.
That doesn’t mean Ngannou made the wrong move leaving the UFC. If anything, he bet on himself in a way most fighters never get the chance to. Bigger paydays, more freedom and global platform like Netflix. On paper, it’s exactly what fighters have been asking for.
But there’s a cost to that freedom and it looks like this. A co-main event that no one cares about. And that’s not solely on Ngannou. For the average viewer, most couldn’t even tell you who he’s facing if they didn’t look it up.
His name is Philipe Lins. A six fight UFC veteran who went 4-2 in the promotion, with arguably his biggest win coming over Ovince St. Preux.
Heavyweight MMA Is Lackluster
I say this to say, there’s no knock on Lins. He took an opportunity that anyone else would’ve also jumped at. But the state of heavyweight MMA is so lackluster right now, that no one cares. Outside of the UFC, there’s arguably zero free agent MMA stars that would draw against Francis.
While the former UFC champion is still a draw, still a threat and still one of the most must-watch fighters in the sport, he’s just no longer positioned as the guy.
So maybe the real question isn’t how Francis Ngannou ended up here. Maybe it’s what “here” actually means now.
In this day and age, being a feared knockout artist just isn’t enough. For heavyweights, you need to build a fight around two men that you believe can knock each other out, and this just isn’t it.
Saturday feels like a foregone conclusion. And maybe that’s why no one really cares. If Francis Ngannou is going to be a massive star again, he needs an opponent that will test his limits. It doesn’t feel like that person is available for him at this time.
I’m not suggesting Francis goes back to the UFC. At this point, I’m not sure either side even wants that. But if Francis Ngannou is going to continue his journey as an MMA fighter, he needs proper competition. Otherwise, he will fade into just another guy.
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