Asked about his next objectives after his fight against Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou confessed to having exchanges with Deontay Wilder. The idea of a clash between the Cameroonian and the American is already making the Professional Fighters League, the MMA organization to which Ngannou is linked, salivate.
Francis Ngannou and Deontay Wilder could well find themselves in an octagon.
He's now the man every heavyweight wants to face. Despite his much-maligned loss to Tyson Fury on a split decision, Francis Ngannou emerged in the eyes of the general public as the real winner of this long-awaited clash with the British world champion. So much so, that the Cameroonian is in demand from all sides, notably from promoters and managers who want to see their protégé rub shoulders with the Predator for maximum exposure. While Anthony Joshua's manager has already made such an appeal, Ngannou seems to have set his sights elsewhere. Still linked to the MMA organization, the PFL, he is expected to return to the octagon first.
But not against just any opponent. In view of the hype, but above all the profits generated around the Fury fight, another atypical confrontation could take place and this time, it's a boxing champion who could migrate from the ring to the cage. When asked about his future, Francis Ngannou confided that he was in discussions with Deontay Wilder. Interviewed on The MMA Hour, the former UFC champion confided that "discussions have been initiated" with the Wilder clan. "It's something that can potentially happen. Nothing's official yet, but it's an idea that interests me and makes sense since he seems really serious about MMA," added Ngannou, confirming that Wilder has indeed been training in MMA for some time.
PFL boss in favor of mixed-rule fight
It's a fight that's sure to create a buzz. Even though he hasn't fought in over a year, with his last success coming in 2022, the American is still highly regarded after winning the world heavyweight title and his two fights against Tyson Fury, which resulted in a real showdown. The idea of him taking up MMA to face Ngannou is already making PFL boss Donn Davis salivate."I think there are two options open to him: a fight in English and a slightly different MMA fight that could be done with mixed rules," he put forward, already confirming his enthusiasm.
All the more so as the two men have already been inveighing against each other on social networks. Wilder even went so far as to propose a fight to Ngannou. This was to take place in two stages: first in MMA, then in English boxing. Could this lead to a single fight with mixed rules? The idea has obviously already gained ground, and all that's missing is the agreement of the two men for the event to take place. Unless, of course, the Predator receives even more tempting offers in the meantime.
