Boxing royalty and mighty heavyweight Deontay Wilder has once more stirred the pot for a super fight. Wilder is currently riding a back-to-back loss and wants to make a splash in combat sports. The former WBC heavyweight champion has set his sights once again on Francis Ngannou. The MMA champion has previously fought in boxing, but a dream fight with Wilder never happened.
Before Ngannou’s collision with Tyson Fury last year, the African fighter flirted with the idea to face Wilder. The American boxer even offered a two-fight deal, one in the realm of boxing and the second in MMA. Despite the lucrative nature of the offer, Ngannou chose to box Fury and Anthony Joshua. It looks like the tables have turned once more as Wilder spoke with TMZ to spill the beans on this super-fight.
Ever since I’ve been off and stuff like that, there’s a lot of offers coming in, a lot of things in different countries, and stuff like that and even with friends (Francis Ngannou)….. And yeah, that’s a conversation I am still looking to, uh…get in there in the mix and talk about it. I mean, every fight is competitive. I mean, you got a man that got two hands and two feet and got a heart and will to win. I mean, you got competition; you got a fight on your hands.
Deontay Wilder via exclusive interview for TMZ
Wilder is no stranger to dealing with tough losses and bouncing back from them. The 39-year-old boxer wished Francis Ngannou well and offered his heartfelt condolences for the loss of his child. It seems like the duo is on great terms with no bad blood between them.
As of right now, both Wilder and Ngannou have accumulated back-to-back setbacks in their boxing career. This could set the stage for an interesting boxing bout featuring two power punchers from different disciplines. Despite making a jump away from UFC, Ngannou continues to attract a bitter diatribe from his former boss, Dana White.
The promotion has allegedly made attempts to erase him from the history in lead up to UFC 309. With his jump to PFL cemented and two boxing outings in losing affairs, Ngannou can look towards a clash with Wilder as the next option. This is something the Cameroonian star has showcased his interest in already.
Francis Ngannou wants to return to boxing against Deontay Wilder in 2025
Leading up to his mega-fight with PFL champion Renan Ferreira, Ngannou spoke about his boxing aspirations. The MMA star seemed keen on returning to the squared circle sometime next year. He even had an opponent in mind in Deontay Wilder. He revealed that this is a fight that he still wants to make it happen.
Due to some undisclosed reasons, the conversation between the two camps never went too far. This led to the booking of the first Fury fight last year. Finally, the stage is set for the two mega-stars to trade punches in the squared circle. Ngannou made one more callout ahead of their PFL debut for the super fight against Wilder.
Absolutely, I would love that fight…pure boxing, pure boxing, don’t be delusional here. That’s where we both stand a chance. But MMA, if we go like mixed martial art, only one man stands a chance. It is a fight I want. I always wanted that fight. At some point, we even had a discussion that didn’t go too far, but at one point we wanted to make this fight happen.
Francis Ngannou via Exclusive interview for talkSPORT MMA
On a high note, Ngannou ended his journey in the UFC, walking away with the world champion status. He became only the third man to KO Stipe Miocic, a bitter loss the Cleveland native still hasn’t forgotten. Whatever the case, this clash between ‘Bronze Bomber’ and’ The Predator’ could prove to be a massive success at PPV. Only time will tell if this super-fight happens.
