Boxing: Francis Ngannou in the UFC, Jake Paul and his return to MMA

Francis Ngannou believes he is the lineal heavyweight MMA world champion as he prepares to return to action against Philip Lins in California on Saturday.

The 39-year-old left the UFC as their reigning heavyweight champion and did Won an MMA fight 2023 to PFL since de-promotion.

Although MMA does not have an official lineal championship line like boxing, Ngannou is considered by many to be the best heavyweight in the world – though John Jones and Tom Aspinall Championing the UFC in his absence.

Asked if he agreed with that view, Ngannou said “absolutely” and that he was defending the position against Lins.

“I never lost the UFC title but I never lost the PFL title either,” he said.

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

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

Nganu hopes MVP can offer a lucrative option for the Warriors opposite Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidaria.

Ngannou says the end of his time in the UFC was “terrible” as he fell out with top brass and Dana White.

“It’s very important for fighters to have an option. I’ve been there for a while now and I understand why so many fighters are scared,” Ngannou told BBC Sport.

“(UFC) contracts are not fair – they give all the rights to the promoter and don’t protect the fighter.

“Fighters are just a resource and they can get rid of you if 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 would be to young fighters, Ngannu said: “If anyone asks my advice I would say ‘stand your ground and believe in yourself’.”

“You have to consider the worst case scenario when making your decision, and as long as you’re OK with that situation, you can live with that decision.”