Francis Ngannou: Jon Jones or Deontay Wilder on the menu?

He walked out on the UFC after a stand-off, before signing on 16 May with the Professional Fighters League, joining the promotion that runs tournaments with a 1 million dollar prize. Expected to make his debut in the American MMA league in the coming months, Francis Ngannou is not short of ambition. While his long-awaited boxing bout with Tyson Fury looks to be in trouble, the Cameroonian has set his sights on other challenges that are just as big.

And for good reason: the contract he signed with the PFL allows him to fight outside the promotion, something that was impossible for him at the UFC. It is a boon for the Batié native, who wants to fight in the boxing ring. A boxer at heart before moving into MMA, the former UFC heavyweight champion wants to test himself against the best in the blue-riband division. If not Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou wants to take on Deontay Wilder. Speaking to TMZ, the Cameroonian said talks along those lines have already taken place. "In December, we were discussing a boxing match. We discussed a boxing match, an MMA fight, and probably one of them in Africa. All parties agreed. We were very far along in that conversation ", he said. Before that, Deontay Wilder had also confirmed discussions about such a fight.

Read more on the subject: Deontay Wilder admits to talks with Francis Ngannou

Jones, a fight that is impossible to make?

If a fight happens between the two men, it will not be promoted by the PFL. At least not initially, to give Wilder the chance to get used to the rules and techniques of MMA. "Wilder can't be my first fight in the PFL because he could be fighting in December ", Francis Ngannou said. "And by then, there will already be an opening for me (for a first fight with the PFL, editor's note) and he won't have enough time to come into MMA. Because if we fight, I think we would fight in boxing first to give him a bit of time for his wrestling and everything else. "

Read more on the subject: Jon Jones: "I can't wait to throw a few punches at Ngannou"

Another target in the sights of "The Predator " is Jon Jones. Footage of their meeting on the sidelines of an MMA event went viral. The two men, who have been trading insults on social media for months, surprised everyone by exchanging smiles and pleasantries. Ngannou looked back on that moment. "I think we respect each other as athletes. We have this rivalry, you know, everybody wants to know who's the biggest dog in the room. But, yeah, we respect each other", he said, while making no secret of his desire to fight the man who took over his UFC heavyweight belt.

He feels the pressure @PFLMMA pic.twitter.com/ZWm2ExTI7n

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) June 17, 2023

A fight that is "possible", according to Ngannou, with one catch: the two men fight for rival promotions, and the UFC and the PFL have never worked together so far. Is it time to do so and stage a first-of-its-kind fight that would be sure to draw huge viewing figures and the revenue that comes with them? It would be worth considering.