Deontay Wilder, former heavyweight boxing champion, believes an announcement about a fight with Francis Ngannou is likely to happen soon.
Francis Ngannou, previously the UFC champion, has had varied experiences since leaving the UFC in 2023. Following contract disagreements with UFC management, Ngannou was released and pursued boxing opportunities, facing Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Despite losses to Fury and Joshua in boxing, Ngannou achieved a victory in his MMA return, defeating Renan Ferreira, the 2023 PFL champion, last year.
Ngannou is planning to box again in 2025 and aims to make a significant impact in his third boxing match. Deontay Wilder is a primary target for Ngannou, and Wilder has shown interest in fighting Ngannou in either MMA or boxing.
Wilder Suggests Fight Booking with Francis Ngannou is Imminent
As speculation about a Ngannou vs. Wilder fight continues, Wilder has indicated a potential fight with the former UFC star. He hinted at a second fight being scheduled for December, following his match against Tyrrell Herndon on June 27th in Wichita, Kansas.
In a recent interview on the ARIEL X ADE show, Wilder responded to questions about the Ngannou fight happening in late 2025.
“The fight with Francis is still a possibility. It`s been discussed again recently,” Wilder stated. “We are working out the details for a match between us. I am definitely interested, and he is too. It`s really just a matter of timing and finalizing everything.”
“It seems likely to happen, we just need to sort out the specifics. I`m looking forward to it, so keep watching for updates.”
Wilder`s immediate focus is his return to winning form against Herndon in June. Wilder has lost four of his last five fights, including a knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang in his most recent fight last summer.
PFL Offered Jon Jones $50 Million for a Fight Against Francis Ngannou
Ngannou`s planned return to boxing follows an offer from PFL founder Donn Davis to Jon Jones of $50 million to fight Ngannou in the PFL SmartCage. Jones is currently in negotiations to fight Tom Aspinall to unify the UFC heavyweight titles later this year.
A potential fight between Jones and Ngannou was considered after Ngannou became UFC heavyweight champion in 2021 by defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. However, they couldn`t reach an agreement, and UFC president Dana White attributed the failure to Ngannou.
Both Jones and Ngannou remain interested in a super heavyweight match. However, given the strained relationship between White and Ngannou, it is unlikely unless Jones leaves the UFC.
