Ngannou lands at No. 2, beyond only UFC interim champion Tom Aspinall. The UFC's official champ, Jon Jones, is not in the rankings because he has not fought in over a year and a half. Jones will be eligible to return to the top 10 after next month's fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

During an interview with veteran journalist Ariel Helwani following his victory over Ferreira, Ngannou was asked whether it felt strange being back in an MMA cage after so long away. The 38-year-old's answer revealed a bizarre pre-fight act to help him get used to the PFL cage on his debut for the promotion.

What does it mean to be MMA's lineal champion and how did that title land with Francis Ngannou? It's been a long and wild ride.

Francis Ngannou reminded the MMA world he's still a dangerous man. After more than two years away from the sport, the former UFC heavyweight champion returned to the cage this past Saturday in the mai

Francis Ngannou's return to MMA was disconcerting, but the lineal MMA heavyweight champion put on a performance that opened more doors than we might assume. A first-round knockout over PFL champ Renan Ferreira on October 19 cemented Ngannou's place as one of the top heavyweight fighters in the world,