Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has revealed that talks are still active regarding a possible showdown with MMA star Francis Ngannou, though the format of their potential contest remains under discussion.
“I’d love to fight Ngannou,” Wilder stated in recent interview. “I think that fight is still stirring up. We’re still talking about it. We’re just trying to get the structure of how that fight is going to go.”
The American boxer, known for his devastating knockout power, elaborated on the various options being considered for the cross-disciplinary matchup, suggesting he would be open to a two-fight deal spanning both combat sports.
“I even have expressed my opinions about, you know, hey, we do one fight boxing, one fight MMA,” Wilder explained. “I would love to go back and forth, giving him the opportunity to, you know, me going his backyard, as he comes into mine. You know, fair is fair.”
Wilder acknowledged that different stakeholders might have different preferences for the contest format, adding, “Some may want to just do boxing or whatever. So it’s a lot of things going on right now.”
Despite the complications in finalizing terms, Wilder expressed confidence that an agreement would eventually be reached. “I think that fight will be made. A lot of fights will be made, you know, man. We just got to get back at it. It’s all going to depend on me,” he concluded.
Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion who recently made his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury in a closely contested bout, has drawn significant interest from boxing’s elite as he continues his crossover journey between MMA and boxing.
