Impact Ngannou hurt Lins with nearly every punch thrown and was able to keep space amid takedown attempts and clinch work from his opponent. This led to the finishing sequence near the end of the first frame, when Lins attempted to exchange with Ngannou after landing a shot. Ngannou called out Jon Jones after the victory, but with Jones still locked into a UFC contract, it seems unlikely that such a fight could ever materialize. A much more likely dance partner would be Robelis Despaigne, who called out "The Predator" after his own knockout win over Junior dos Santos. The lineal UFC heavyweight champion scored a major victory over the promotion when he left to box (and nearly defeat) then-heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, but it feels like his career has been in limbo since a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in 2024, as he did not fight last year and is a free agent after parting with the PFL. Ngannou remains the most feared heavyweight in MMA, improving to 19-3-0 as a professional due to the win.
MAY 21 • ROTOWIRE
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