Deontay Wilder and Francis Ngannou are considering a potential boxing match, with both fighters navigating personal challenges and recent career developments, including Ngannou’s return to MMA and Wilder’s recovery from an injury.
Deontay Wilder vs. Francis Ngannou? That could actually happen.
Ngannou made a triumphant return to MMA this past October, delivering a first-round knockout against Renan Ferreira at PFL Battle of the Giants. This marked his first MMA bout since January 2022 after parting ways with the UFC in 2023 and signing with PFL. In between, he also faced off in high-profile boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
After his victory over Ferreira, Ngannou dedicated the win to his late son, Kobe, who tragically passed away in April. While he kept tight-lipped about his next steps, boxing remains a possibility, with Wilder showing interest in a potential showdown between the heavyweight titans.
“Even since I’ve been off, there’s been a lot of offers coming in,” Wilder shared with TMZ Sports. “Different countries and stuff like that. Even with Francis—hope everything’s going good for you. I’m sorry for your loss; I can’t imagine losing a child.”
Wilder expressed his eagerness to discuss fighting Ngannou further. He’s keen to get into those conversations and see what unfolds.
Despite being in a rough patch with only one win in his last five fights, Wilder is still renowned for his knockout power—43 wins, almost all by KO/TKO. He suffered a fifth-round TKO loss to Zhilei Zhang this past April but remains undeterred.
Ngannou holds an 0-2 record as a professional boxer but was applauded for knocking down Fury before losing via controversial split decision. His bout with Joshua ended more decisively, with a second-round knockout.
But official records aside, Wilder won’t underestimate Ngannou if they meet in the ring. “Any fight is competitive,” Wilder noted. “When you’ve got a man with two hands and two feet and that will to win, you’ve got competition.”
However, it’s unclear when Wilder will compete next due to an arm injury (“two tears in my shoulder”) sustained ahead of losses to Zhang and Joseph Parker. Yet, he’s optimistic about returning stronger.
“For me, the best is yet to come,” said Wilder. “We’re still going. We’re here. Just handling things—outside distractions became too much.” He mentioned family responsibilities: “I’ve got seven kids of my own; I can’t take care of everybody.”
“Even those closest to me have betrayed me,” he lamented. “It’s been a domino effect over the last five years. Betrayal—it cuts deeper than heartbreak.”