Deontay Wilder ‘looking to get involved’ in potential Francis Ngannou fight talks

Deontay Wilder vs. Francis Ngannou? It could happen.

Ngannou returned to MMA competition last October with a thunderous first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira at the PFL Battle of the Giants. It was Ngannou’s first MMA fight since January 2022, when he parted ways with the UFC in 2023, signed with the PFL and then took part in a pair of high-profile boxing bouts against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

After defeating Ferreira, Ngannou dedicated the victory to his son Kobe, who died tragically last April. He declined to comment on what his next move would be, although boxing is still on the table and Wilder is interested in negotiating a potential matchup of heavyweight stars.

“Even since I’ve been off, a lot of offers have come in,” Wilder said TMZ Sports. “Lots of things in different countries and stuff. Even with Francis, hope all goes well for you, I’m sorry for your loss. I can only imagine what it’s like to lose a child. I hope I never feel that feeling myself of it. I hope life is going well for you, brother.”

“It’s a conversation I’m still looking to get into the mix and talk about,” Wilder added when asked about the Ngannou fight.

Wilder, a former WBC titleholder, is suffering the worst slump of his career with just one win in his last five outings. In April, he lost to Zhilei Zhang via TKO in the fifth round. The 39-year-old remains highly respected for his finishing power, with all but one of his 43 career victories coming by way of KO/TKO.

Ngannou is 0-2 as a pro, though he was widely praised for scoring a knockdown of Fury en route to a controversial split decision loss. Against Joshua, his loss was more definitive as he was knocked out in the second round.

Regardless of what the official record says, Wilder won’t overlook Ngannou if they step into the ring together.

“Every fight is competitive,” Wilder said. “When you have a man who has two hands and two feet, and he has a heart, the will to win, then you have competition. You have a battle on your hands. That’s why when you get in the ring, you respect every man who steps in there. You just never know what dog he might bring to the game.”

It’s unknown when Wilder will be able to compete, as he told TMZ Sports he suffered an arm injury (“two tears in my shoulder”) in November 2023 prior to the losses to Zhang and Joseph Parker. Speaking of his recovery, Wilder is optimistic that he can continue to perform at a high level.

“For me, the best is yet to come,” Wilder said. “We’re still going. We’re still here. We’re just getting things together, I’m just dealing with a lot of things. I had a lot of outside distractions that I had to get rid of, a big burden on me. I was taking care of a lot people, and it just got to a point where I just couldn’t do it anymore. I have seven kids myself, I can’t take care of them all.”

“Even those closest to me, I’ve been betrayed by so many people. It’s been a domino effect over the last five years. If anyone knows betrayal, it’s worse than heartbreak.”