Francis Ngannou is open to fighting Jake Paul after their recent back-and-forth, even if it’s not been discussed yet with MVP and Netflix. 

Ngannou will be fighting on the MVP MMA card headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano in May, facing Philipe Lins in his return to action for the first time since 2024. 

And MVP, the promotion co-founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021, will be hosting its very first MMA card as the very first MMA event streaming on Netflix. So it is quite the boon to have the never-defeated UFC Heavyweight fighting on the card. 

However, Paul is looking at Ngannou for his own fighting career, and has been using the media run-up to the event to make that known. Like when he told Sky Sports that he was looking to fight Ngannou when he returns to a boxing ring, along with the belief he could knock Ngannou out.

Ngannou was asked about Paul’s words during an interview with Ariel Helwani, and he admitted that it was something that would have got underneath his skin a few months back. But not now. 

“Jake is just being Jake,” he said. “He has always been like that.”

Helwani pushed, asking if it was something he would be interested in. “I don’t know,” he replied. “If it happens, okay.”

But he clarified, “Not boxing him, kicking his a**.” Helwani asked if that was to mean MMA, and Ngannou left everything rather open. Ultimately, he did confirm he was interested in the fight: “I want to,” he said with a smile. 

Though he confirmed afterward that it was not something he had discussed formally with MVP or Netflix, hinging hopes on the first event being ruled a success and making a second possible.

Nearly one year ago, WWE became the majority owner of Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. In the months since, WWE has brought the AAA product more in line with its own, which (according to Dave Meltzer) has yielded positive and negative results. Unsurprisingly, though, divisive AAA star El Hijo del Vikingo had glowing things to say about the transition during a recent interview with Denise Salcedo.

“It’s a win-win for everyone in the company,” Vikingo said. “Here in Mexico, tickets sell out, people are left outside the arenas. They’re packed and everyone wants to see El Hijo del Vikingo.”

The wrestler believes that the acquisition has made it so that many WWE fans have started watching AAA and vice-versa. As an added benefit, Vikingo gets to work with figures that he looked up to as a child, including The Undertaker, who has taken on a prominent backstage role in AAA.

Another aspect of the change that Vikingo is excited about is the ability to face new opponents. He named Dominik Mysterio as an example, though he may regret those words today. Shortly after the interview took place, Mysterio defeated Vikingo to retain the AAA Mega Championship.

Looking ahead, Vikingo has ambitions outside the AAA side of the deal, as well.

“I will enter the main roster of WWE,” Vikingo stated. “We already entered the video game. Now, we are going to enter the main roster. Those are my short-term plans.”

Vikingo has yet to appear on the WWE main roster, though he did wrestle at both of last year’s Worlds Collide events, featuring WWE and AAA talent on one card. Earlier this year, it was reported that unlike many of his AAA co-stars, Vikingo is signed to a WWE deal.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Denise Salcedo and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.’s results for “TNA Thursday Night iMPACT” on March 26, 2026, coming to you from the Gateway Center Arena at College Park in Atlanta, Georgia!

Order 4 leader Mustafa Ali will be taking on BDE in what will mark the first singles match between the pair. The two men previously met in the ring on March 12 when BDE, Rich Swann, and TNA International Champion Trey Miguel defeated Ali and his stablemates Jason Hotch and John Skyler.

Since beginning his quest to take out The System one member at a time after the group kicked him out a handful of weeks ago, Moose has emerged victorious against Cedric Alexander in an Atlanta Street Fight on the March 12 episode of “Thursday Night iMPACT” and Brian Myers during last Thursday’s episode of “Thursday Night iMPACT” in very quick fashion with just a spear. Tonight, Moose looks to add the third name to his list when he goes one-on-one with Bear Bronson.

Alexander and Myers will be competing in matches of their own tonight as Myers goes head-to-head with one half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions Jeff Hardy in what will mark Jeff’s first singles match since he scored a victory against the aforementioned Ali on January 22. Meanwhile, Alexander will be joining forces with fellow System member Eddie Edwards to square off against TNA World Champion Mike Santana and X-Division Champion Leon Slater in tag team competition.

Additionally, Eric Young will be appearing on tonight’s show as he prepares to challenge the aforementioned Slater for the X-Division Championship at TNA Sacrifice tomorrow night.

We are live! Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt greet audiences at home as Order 4 makes their way to the ring. BDE and Rich Swann follow.

The bell rings and BDE fires off right hands on Ali’s head. He looks to land a springboard crossbody on Ali, but Ali intercepts BDE and sends him crashing into the mat. BDE takes out Ali on the outside and dumps him back in the ring before the two men exchange right hands with one another and BDE runs over Ali with a knee.

BDE delivers a springboard cutter to Ali off the ropes and ascends to the top, then delivers a splash to him and goes for a pin. Ali kicks out and sends BDE crashing into the mat spine first with Dance With The Devil for the win.

Winner: Mustafa Ali

After the match, Jason Hotch and John Skyler fire off stomps on BDE and Swann. Trey Miguel runs out to the ring to even the odds, but Order 4 overpowers him. Jada Stone follows Miguel to take out Tasha Steelz, but Special Agent 0 looks to chokeslam Stone. Miguel comes to Stone’s aid. 

We then head backstage, where Gia Miller catches up with Mike Santana and Leon Slater. Daria Rae approaches Santana and informs him that he will be stripped of the TNA World Championship if he even lays a hand on Steve Maclin before their Sacrifice title match tomorrow night. 

The System then makes their way to the ring. The Hardys follow. 

The bell rings and Jeff shoves Myers. He fires off right hands on his midsection and ascends up the middle rope, but Myers trips Jeff and lands a knee on his throat. He rains down right hands on Jeff and wears him down with a submission hold, but Jeff catches Myers with a jawbreaker and levels him with a clothesline. He follows it up with a back elbow and an Atomic Drop, but Myers sends Jeff crashing into the mat with an elevated DDT and pins him. Jeff kicks out.

Jeff lands a Twist of Fate on Myers, then ascends to the top rope and connects with a Swanton Bomb on Myers for the win.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

After the match, Cedric Alexander and Bear Bronson fire off stomps on Jeff. Matt looks to take out Bronson, but Myers clocks him from behind and rains down right hands on Matt with Bronson. The Righteous run out to the ring to take out The System and even the odds.

With Bronson left alone in the ring, Moose and Alisha Edwards make their way out. 

The bell rings and Moose rains right hands on Bronson down in the corner. Bronson lands a chop on Moose’s chest on the outside, then dumps Moose back in the ring. Moose whips Bronson into the corner, but Bronson lands a back suplex on Moose. Moose whips Bronson into the ring steps shoulder first, but Bronson catches Moose with a suplex on the outside.

Back from the break, Moose and Bronson exchange right hands with one another. Moose lands a senton on Bronson and kips up, but Bronson catches Moose with a sit-out powerbomb and goes for a pin. Moose kicks out before Bronson and Moose exchange right hands with one another. Bronson then sends Moose crashing into the mat.

The rest of The System emerge at ringside, but several members of the Atlanta Falcons get in The System’s face. Bronson becomes distracted, opening the door for Moose to deliver a spear to him and pin him for the win.

Winner: Moose

We then head backstage, where Mara Sadè receives a note telling her to follow the white rabbit. She sees a white rabbit and follows it, leading her up a set of stairs.

The Diamond Collective then makes their way to the ring. Jody Threat, Harley Hudson, and Myla Grace follow.

Tessa Blanchard and Threat begin the action. The bell rings and the two stare down one another. Mila Moore and Hudson tag in, but Moore shoves Hudson’s face and the pair lock up. Moore levels Hudson with a shoulder tackle, but Hudson levels Moore with a crossbody and wears her arm down with a submission hold.

Grace tags in and whips Moore into the corner with Hudson. Hudson assists Grace in landing a splash on Moore and delivers a Hip Attack to her before Grace lands a suplex on Moore and pins her. Moore kicks out.

Victoria Crawford tags in, but Grace lands a boot on her midsection and connects with a shotgun dropkick on her. She goes for a pin, but Crawford kicks out. Hudson then tags back in, and Grace trips Crawford. Grace and Hudson then land a double elbow drop on Crawford, but Crawford whips Hudson into the corner.

Blanchard pulls on Hudson’s hair from the ring apron and tags herself in as Threat tags in on her side. Threat levels an interfering Moore and Crawford with clotheslines, then stacks The Diamond Collective on top of one another and lands a jumping knee strike on the back of all three of their necks.

Grace flies off the ring apron to take out The Diamond Collective on the outside, then dumps Blanchard back in the ring.

Threat looks to land a crossbody on Blanchard on the outside, but Moore moves out of the way and Threat is sent crashing into the ring steps before sending her crashing into them face first. Blanchard gets back in the ring and lands Buzzsaw on Grace, then pins her for the win.

Winners: The Diamond Collective

We then head over to The Injury Report, where we find out Leon Slater has been cleared while Indi Hartwell and Ash By Elegance have not been cleared.

We then head over to a video, where we see Rosemary and Allie encounter Crazzy Steve as they continue their journey to get Allie back from the dead. 

Back at ringside, Eric Young makes his way out. Brad Attitude is already waiting inside.

The bell rings and Young blindsides Attitude from behind. He delivers a dropkick to him and goes for a pin, but Attitude kicks out and Young catches him with a powerslam. He goes for another pin, but Attitude kicks out once again. Young then gets Attitude up on his shoulders and delivers C4 to him. He goes for a pin, but Attitude kicks out.

Young chases the referee up the entrance ramp, opening the door for Attitude to fly over the top rope and take him out on the outside. Attitude ascends to the top rope back in the ring, but Young trips him and lands a piledriver on him for the win.

Winner: Eric Young

We then head backstage, where Jeff Hardy and The Righteous find Matt Hardy laid out after being attacked. Matt notes that he didn’t see who took him out and says “they hit [him] from behind.”

Back at ringside, Buff Bagwell joins Gia Miller on the entrance ramp. Miller asks Bagwell what it means to see the growth of TNA Wrestling, and Bagwell apologizes to the fans for his behavior over the past 20 years and says if the fans will get behind him one more time, he’ll get in the ring one more time to wrestle for TNA. Frankie Kazarian interrupts the pair and mocks Bagwell for his amputated leg, but Elijah appears and says it’s Bagwell’s night and says no one will stop Bagwell from living out his dream with his inspiring story.

The System then makes their way to the ring. Leon Slater and Mike Santana follow.

Slater and Alexander begin the action. The bell rings and Alexander rains down right hands on Slater. Slater flies over the top rope looking to take out Edwards and Alexander on the outside, but both men catch him. Santana then flies over the top rope to level Alexander and Edwards.

Back from the break, Slater tags in and levels Edwards with a pair of clotheslines. He lands a kick on Edwards, then delivers a boot to him in the corner and ascends to the top rope. He lands a crossbody on Edwards and pins him, but Edwards kicks out.

Edwards rains down right hands on Slater, then lands a chop on his chest and tags in Alexander.

Alexander delivers a kick to Slater, but Slater responds with one of his own. Alexander rains down right hands on Slater before he wears him down with a submission hold. Santana and Edwards tag back in, and Santana delivers a shotgun dropkick to Edwards. He delivers a cutter to Edwards and pins him, but Edwards kicks out and Slater tags back in and lands a Frog Splash on Edwards. Santana then lands a moonsault and uses Slater as a launching pad.

Santana sets up for a Discus Lariat on Edwards, but Edwards avoids it and Santana rocks him with a back elbow. Edwards lands a Sidewalk Slam on Santana, and Alexander delivers a Frog Splash to Santana off the ropes.

Alexander lands a Michinoku Driver on Santana, but Slater takes out Alexander with a kick. Santana then lands a Death Valley Driver on Edwards and flies over the top rope with a Tope Con Hilo to level Edwards on the outside.

Steve Maclin appears out of nowhere and locks in a sleeper on Slater. Santana gets in Maclin’s face and Maclin dares Santana to punch him and get stripped of his TNA World Championship. Santana decides against clocking Maclin, but Slater levels Maclin. When Santana slides back in the ring, Edwards is waiting with a Boston Knee Party for him for the win.

Winners: The System