09 February 2023 , 10:20
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Deontay Wilder has offered Francis Ngannou a two-fight deal in which he would make his MMA debut against the UFC heavyweight champion after the pair fight in a boxing ring.
The former heavyweight champion is one of the few names on Ngannou's hitlist for his first boxing fight after leaving the UFC earlier this year having never lost his world title belt. He is also keen to face Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury, but has also mentioned Wilder as a prospective opponent.
The hard-hitting duo are two of the biggest punchers in combat sports, with the American having knocked out all but one of his opponents; Fury. And even during his trilogy with the Brit, to whom he lost twice after initially drawing, he put him down multiple times and almost landed a finish.
Asked if he would like to face Ngannou now that he is a free agent during an appearance on Trill Boxing, Wilder responded: "Most definitely, I love Francis. When I met him at the UFC Apex in Vegas he was talking about doing it that time, I'm still interested in it and I would love to go to Africa for that fight.
“When he was with Dana [White, UFC president], me and Dana sat down and talked about it. When he brought the idea to me the whole saying was 'if it makes dollars it makes sense'. That's all they need to know. I know he's doing his own thing and I'm proud of him for following his heart, doing what he feels."
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Wilder repeated during his interview that he would "love" to make the fight happen, particularly if it allowed for a homecoming bout for Ngannou. And he pushed further when he claimed that he would be willing to make a massive deal and move into MMA for the rematch after they boxed.
Deontay Wilder is one of the most ferocious punchers in the history of boxing (Getty Images)Who do you think wins between Francis Ngannou and Deontay Wilder? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
"I even thought about this idea," he teased. "I said 'alright, let’s make it a two-fight deal. Everybody always comes to boxing, let's do this; you come to my s***, I’ll come to yours. I'm a true warrior, that even makes it more exciting and I’m serious about that too. That’s something I thought about even since the first spark of the idea.
"I was like 'you know what, I want to do something different'. Since everybody been doing this crossing between combat sports, and the MMA guys always come to boxing, and of course, they ain’t got no standup game like as far as boxing is concerned, so it's always about who would be favoured in the boxing side. It's like being in the water with sharks."
Asked if he had any actual experience with the different aspects of MMA aside from boxing, Wilder joked that he "knows how to beat an a**". "Pound-for-pound beatdown, but all jokes aside I don't have any mixed martial arts experience but if that happens, of course, I'm going to go and get training and go from there."