Fans puzzled as Francis Ngannou confirms Deontay Wilder as next outing: “PFL got scammed”

PFL HW champ Francis Ngannou wants to return to boxing and predicts KO artist Deontay Wilder ‘will go to sleep’.

Fans puzzled as Francis Ngannou confirms Deontay Wilder as next outing: “PFL got scammed”

PFL Champ Francis Ngannou confirms return to boxing and chooses Deontay Wilder (Source: X)

Lineal UFC champion and current PFL Super Fights champ Francis Ngannou isn’t done with boxing ventures. “Predator” reveals a comeback, and hunting prey is in order and in the pipeline. To that end, Ngannou has named a surprise opponent—Deontay Wilder.

“Bronze Bomber” is on a 1-4 slump in his last five pro boxing outings. But at one point, Wilder touted his fame as a one-hitter HW KO artist. At one point in time, even Tyson Fury revered his power. While not the most technically proficient fighter, Wilder has a 97.7 percent finish rate in his 43 wins. Thus making him one of the hardest punchers in the history of boxing. But Ngannou boasts he can hit harder.

[Boxing versus Wilder]…there’s an 80 percent chance that somebody will go to sleep, …Deontay Wilder is known as a guy that knocks everybody out . . . I myself can knock someone out. Deep inside me there is a little bit of ego, like I know I hit harder.

Francis Ngannou to Sportsbook Review

Wilder did make an audacious MMA callout to Ngannou when he was PFL’s hot new signing and about to make a splash in a heavyweight super fight. However, the Cameroonian shut that down, saying boxing was where he stood a chance. Ngannou maintains a near 100% MMA finish rate, with one decision in 18 pro victories. That decision came against Ciryl Gane.

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Ngannou himself is 0-2 in pro boxing; he’s still a big draw and a hot seller. But he has no stats to show for as a boxer. Hence, he now considers Wilder (43-3-2, 42 KOs), himself on a downgrade, an ideal opponent to scale their powers. Wilder himself should have no objection, given he too made another significant call-up in recent times. Fans, though, think differently.

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Fight fans react to PFL Super fight champ Francis Ngannou’s boxing announcement

In a wild pro boxing debut performance, power puncher Francis Ngannou almost punctuated the biggest upset in history over the ex-WBC lineal champ. Fury barely eked past, defeating Ngannou via scores of 96-93, 95-94, and 94-95. The showcase fight, for the Sudi GEA extended Riyadh Season opener, was Ngannou’s big foray into boxing.

Fans react to Francis Ngannou vs. Deontay Wilder possibility
Fans react to Francis Ngannou vs. Deontay Wilder possibility (Source: X)

After that, the French-Cameroonian went up but failed against former WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO fame boxer Anthony Joshua. His win over Renan Ferreira at the PFL ‘Battle of the Giants’ pay-per-view made him a big ‘MMA Comeback Fighter of the Year 2024’ contender for many outlets. Hence, it’s a given that his trajectory in MMA is far better.

But Ngannou is itching to graze leather against boxers, a big reason for his highly publicized UFC split. Ngannou contested his contract and fighter compensations with the UFC, asking for more contractual leniency in boxing and better representation at fighter meetings. Now, he has chosen Deontay Wilder instead of keeping at PFL. Here are a few top reactions to it:

With limited boxing technicality but preposterous heavy-handed power, many have billed this the fight to make. However, Wilder’s last DAZN Pay-Per-View card headliner in Saudi Arabia vs. Zhilei Zhang did prove he’s on his way out.

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Hence, some have said this will be a clear money grab. One particular reaction even went the funnyman way, quipping, “PFL got scammed by a Nigerian, how surprising.” While others have said Ngannou’s transitive KO power would not be the same in boxing. All in all, very few reactions are in favor of his boxing stitch.

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