Francis Ngannou appeared to give his $100,000 performance bonus to Philipe Lins after knocking out the Brazilian in the first round of their fight on Saturday. The bout took place on the undercard of Ronda Rousey’s return to mixed martial arts, where she submitted Gina Carano in 17 seconds.
Ngannou, 39, secured a first-round stoppage with a huge left hook late in the round, but refused to add a follow-up shot on the downed 41-year-old. At the post-fight press conference, Ngannou said: “I think he’s the guy that deserved the performance of the night [bonus], so maybe we should give the performance of the night to Philipe Lins.”
Those present applauded Ngannou, and Lins later commented on Instagram: “Thank you Francis.” According to Uncrowned, Ngannou earned $1.5m for the fight, while Lins reportedly earned $100,000. With Ngannou’s apparent gift, Lins’s pay may have doubled.
The event, promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, streamed live on Netflix. Ngannou left the UFC in early 2023 over a pay dispute, vacating his heavyweight title. UFC president Dana White has since feuded with Ngannou, and even announced Conor McGregor’s comeback during Ngannou’s walkout.
