Ngannou Targets The Wilder Fight – ‘Only One Man Stands A Chance’
Francis Ngannou has said he wants to fight Deontay Wilder in a boxing fight.
Ngannou has two boxing fights to his name. He made his debut against Tyson Fury and put in an impressive performance. He dropped Fury in the third round with a left hook and pushed him to the final bell. While Fury won the fight, there were suggestions that Ngannou had been robbed. The performance earned him a top ten WBC ranking and an Anthony Joshua fight. The Joshua fight did not go as well.
Ngannou was knocked out in the second round. However, the two fights earned him more than his whole UFC career, setting up his future for when he retires. Before Ngannou took those fights, he was linked with Deontay Wilder. The Bronze Bomber did mention talks over a two-fight deal. One would take place in boxing, while the other in MMA. It never transpired as Wilder focused on his boxing career.
Ngannou On Wilder
However, his form has been poor of late. Wilder lost a unanimous decision to Joseph Parker, which ended hopes of a Joshua-Wilder fight. Zhilei Zhang then knocked out Wilder in his last fight. This raised the suggestion that he may retire from boxing. Wilder is no closer to a title shot as the American must question his motivation for fighting. A fight with Ngannou offers the chance to earn a massive payday, especially if the Saudis decide to host the fight. Since Wilder is still active, an Ngannou fight could present itself.
“[I’d like to face him] In pure boxing. Don’t be delusional here, that is where we both stand a chance… If we go like mixed martial arts, only one man stands a chance… A fight is never too easy, but [it will be] close to too easy,” Ngannou said
However, Ngannou must get past his next fight first. He makes his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira on October 19. The Predator has not had an MMA fight since 2022, when he stopped Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. He is facing the current PFL Heavyweight Champion in Renan. Ferreira also stopped Ryan Bader on the PFL vs. Bellator Champs event this year.
Ngannou’s Next Fight
Francis is also dealing with a major setback. He lost his 15-month-old son, Kobe, raising doubts about whether he would fight again. A win allows Ngannou to become the best fighter in the division. Meanwhile, the anticipation of seeing Ngannou face Jon Jones will increase if he beats Renan convincingly. Joe Rogan expects the fight to be tough, as he expected a competitive fight.
“Not an easy fight [against Renan Ferreira]… You are coming off of a knockout, also unfortunately the death of his son, which is a horrible tragedy. How can a guy be able to completely prepare just emotionally to fight when your son just died? That’ll haunt you, no matter how strong you are physically, no matter how strong you are mentally,” Rogan stated
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