Fresh off a first-round knockout win over Philipe Lins, Francis Ngannou says a fight with Rico Verhoeven is “very compelling” and that he’s aiming to get it done—whether it happens in boxing or MMA.
Francis Ngannou is still riding the momentum of his latest fight, and the next name he keeps coming back to is Rico Verhoeven.
On June 21, 2026, 39-year-old Ngannou spoke about what’s next after he knocked out Philipe Lins in the first round. When asked where his career goes from here, he didn’t sound vague or distracted—he sounded intrigued.
“[Rico] is very compelling. Very interesting. But nothing has been done yet, so I’m looking forward to it,” Ngannou said.
The potential matchup carries its own messy history. Before Verhoeven signed on to face Oleksandr Usyk. Ngannou’s path to a fight with the Dutch star was something many thought could happen—Verhoeven was reportedly “deep in discussions with Jake Paul’s MVP promotions.” Instead. Rico opted to box Usyk. and the fight didn’t play out how a lot of people expected.
Verhoeven entered as a -2500 underdog, dominated the early rounds, and was winning on the scorecards when the bout was stopped controversially. The end came in the 11th round, with Verhoeven losing via stoppage—after he “more than held his own.”
Ngannou said he understands what that feels like, too.
He boxed Tyson Fury in October 2023 and lost by split decision, despite the fact that many fans believed he’d more than held his own against one of the sport’s best-known figures. For Ngannou, the bigger lesson wasn’t just about skill—it was about how outcomes can land.
With Verhoeven in his sights, the question shifted fast: would it be boxing, or would it become MMA?
“Either one. I would like to fight him,” Ngannou said.
Ngannou also made his intentions clear about the near term. It’s still unclear whether a deal gets done, but he said, “that’s what I have in mind for right now.”
Francis Ngannou Rico Verhoeven Philipe Lins Tyson Fury Oleksandr Usyk boxing MMA UFC heavyweight champ MVP promotions Jake Paul split decision