• Francis Ngannou confirmed that discussions have been ongoing for months
  • Deontay Wilder wants to balance UFC with his unified heavyweight boxing goal
  • The haters will never forgive tarnished Conor Benn, but why this is a fight we just have to see – The Hook 

Francis Ngannou is having discussions over a mixed rules fight with Deontay Wilder.

Rumours of the bout have abounded for months and now Ngannou has confirmed that talks have been taking place since before the Tyson Fury fight.

Wilder is planning on crossing over to MMA and fighting in UFC before retiring from professional sport, although a deal with Ngannou is yet to be reached. 

Ngannou is a former UFC champion, having left the promotion earlier this year, and pushed Fury all the way in their Riyadh boxing showdown in October.

While the Gypsy King survived hitting the deck to secure a split-decision victory, the world sat up and the WBC put Ngannou in their top ten ranked heavyweights. 

Francis Ngannou confirmed he is in 'discussions' over a mixed rules fight with Deontay Wilder

Francis Ngannou confirmed he is in ‘discussions’ over a mixed rules fight with Deontay Wilder

The Predator knocked down Tyson Fury in their October boxing bout but lost by split decision

The Predator knocked down Tyson Fury in their October boxing bout but lost by split decision

Wilder has not competed in the ring since knocking out Robert Helenius in October last year

Wilder has not competed in the ring since knocking out Robert Helenius in October last year

Ngannou told the Last Stand podcast: ‘I prefer to fight only the top fighters.

‘Why did I fight Tyson Fury? Because he is the top of the game, I wanted to get in there at the top and I want the best. I want the big fights, the big show. I want everything big. At the end of the day, it is a sport, we do what we have to do.

‘The conversation of a mixed rules fight with Deontay Wilder is true, because even before this fight [against Tyson Fury], we have been having discussions.’

Wilder has not been in the ring since beating Robert Helenius in October 2022 but will face Joseph Parker in Riyadh on December 23. 

That’ll be on a mammoth card as Anthony Joshua will lock horns with Otto Wallin o the same night. 

Formerly an undisputed WBC champion, the Bronze Bomber still harbours the ambition of being the unified heavyweight champion of the world.

Such an aspiration obviously means that he will have to think carefully about when he could face Ngannou in UFC.

Ngannou insisted that he wants to 'fight only the top fighters' and said talks have been ongoing with Wilder since before the Fury fight

Ngannou insisted that he wants to ‘fight only the top fighters’ and said talks have been ongoing with Wilder since before the Fury fight

Wilder still hopes to become a unified world heavyweight boxing champion but hopes to balance that aspiration with a UFC stint before retiring

Wilder still hopes to become a unified world heavyweight boxing champion but hopes to balance that aspiration with a UFC stint before retiring

However, he aims to balance both disciplines. He told Blue Blood Sports TV: ‘I’m thinking about doing both, UFC and boxing. I’ll be a dangerous man in the UFC with 4oz gloves.

I feel like picking up a big body and slamming him [Ngannou], then getting on top of him and beating the s*** out of him.’

Fury spoke in similarly boisterous terms ahead of his bout with Ngannou but left the ring with more questions than answers, despite it being his opponent’s first-ever professional boxing competition.

Ngannou would be a fearsome opponent should Wilder cross in to UFC, as he boasts 17 wins and 3 losses across his career in the promotion.

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Post source: Daily mail

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