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Francis Ngannou called out by Deontay Wilder

Written by Tom Eaton on 11th November 2024.

Deontay Wilder and Francis Ngannou

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou had a rollercoaster experience of life as a professional boxer when he ventured into the sport last year but his time in the sport may not be over yet, now that Deontay Wilder has beckoned on a potential clash.

After rising to superstardom as the strongest puncher in the history of the UFC and claiming the heavyweight title, Ngannou ditched the cage for the ring and jumped in at the deep end of the boxing world by facing then WBC champion Tyson Fury.

Despite many assuming the Cameroonian would be embarrassed against the reigning and lineal heavyweight title-holder, it was instead ‘The Gypsy King’ who was left red-faced after he was floored by the debutant in the third-round.

Regardless, Fury’s blushes were saved with a controversial split-decision win that is still disputed by MMA fanatics twelve months on but the impressive display encouraged Ngannou to remain in the boxing world and roll the dice again, this time taking on two-time champion Anthony Joshua.

Unfortunately for Ngannou, his second appearance in the ring went as many expected the first would and he was brutally knocked out in the second-round, severely outclassed by the 2012 Olympic champion.

Since then, ‘The Predator’ has returned to mixed martial arts and scored an eye-catching first-round knockout on his debut in the Professional Fighter’s League, halting Renan Ferreira for the PFL heavyweight title and as a result his stock and pay-per-view draw remains high in both sports.

Meanwhile, fabled knockout artist and former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is currently lost in the heavyweight division and fans have been calling for him to hang up the gloves after back-to-back one-sided defeats.

However, following news that Wilder’s arm was broken for both of those contests, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is ready to return to the forefront of world boxing and told TMZ Sports of his willingness to get back to winning ways in a battle between two of the hardest hitting men on the planet.

“Even since I’ve been off, there’s been a lot of offers coming in, [from] a lot of different countries. Even with Francis.

“What’s up, brother? I hope everything is going good for you, man. I’m sorry for your loss. I can only imagine what it’s like to lose a child, man. I never hope to even feel that feeling of it. I hope life is going beautifully for you, bro.

“That’s a conversation I’m still looking to get in there in the mix and talk about.”

When asked of Ngannou’s chances in such a contest, the usually arrogant Wilder portrayed a new mindset and insinuated that he would take the fight against the officially 0-2 contender very seriously.

“Any fight is competitive. You’ve got a man who’s got two hands, two feet, and got a heart, that will to win. You’ve got competition, you’ve got a fight on your hands.

“So, that’s why when you get in the ring you respect every man that steps in there because you never know what they may bring to the fight.”

Wilder and Ngannou have often spoke about staging a fight between one another in Africa and such a proposal could provide the latter with the opportunity for a homecoming bout in Cameroon – where he is seen as a national hero.

Although, as is the case with many high-profile contests at present, Saudi Arabia would likely be the frontrunner for any such fight.

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