Francis Ngannou defeated his opponent via knockout late in the first round, though the exact sequence of the finish remains somewhat unclear due to limited camera angles. Alternative footage shows Ngannou landing a decisive left hand that dropped Linns, who fell in a visibly compromised state. Linns entered the fight on a four-fight UFC winning streak but weighed only 100kg at the weigh-in, giving Ngannou a significant 16kg weight advantage. While the finish came later than some of Ngannou's previous knockouts against higher-level competition, all standup exchanges resulted in heavy shots landed by Ngannou, with the fight's duration extended only by Linns' grappling attempts and clinch work. The performance demonstrated Ngannou remains in strong form both physically and as a fighter.
