Francis Ngannou shuts down Deontay Wilder’s ‘delusion’ call out to MMA fight

Former UFC champion, Francis Ngannou talks about potential fight against Deontay Wilder in both boxing and MMA.

Francis Ngannou shuts down Deontay Wilder’s ‘delusion’ call out to MMA fight

Francis Ngannou on fight with Deontay Wilder (Image via Imago)

Ever since leaving the UFC, Francis Ngannou has gone head to head with some of the top contenders in the boxing space. After facing Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, it looks like America’s own Deontay Wilder is next in line. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ recently addressed the possibility of a fight against Deontay Wilder. Here is what happened:

Francis Ngannou recently did an interview with talkSPORT. During their conversation, the reporter informed Ngannou of Deontay Wilder’s plan to face him in MMA. The former UFC champion cautioned Wilder “not to be delusional” about the type of match they should have. Ngannou emphasized that if they were to face off, it should be in a boxing ring where both fighters would have a fair chance.

Don’t be delusional here, boxing is where we will both stand a chance.
Francis Ngannou on talkSPORT

He humorously noted that if the fight took place in an MMA setting, it would be overwhelmingly in his favor. Ngannou acknowledged that no fight is too easy. However, the former UFC champion said that an MMA matchup against Deontay Wilder would be “close to too easy” for him.

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Ngannou is currently getting ready for his upcoming fight against Renan Ferreira in the Professional Fighters League (PFL). While he has expressed strong interest in facing Wilder in a boxing match, Ngannou acknowledged that his recent boxing career has not gone as planned. Having suffered losses to both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, it will be interesting to see if this supposed fight with Deontay Wilder does come to fruition.

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PFL CEO says Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira is the ‘biggest heavyweight fight in MMA of the year’

CEO of the PFL, Peter Murray has made a bold statement in an exclusive discussion with Bloody Elbow. Murray claimed that the upcoming heavyweight fight between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira is the biggest heavyweight bout in MMA this year. Scheduled for October this fight is part of the PFL’s “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view event and will see Ngannou making his much-anticipated return to MMA after a stint in boxing.

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira (via YouTube)

Murray highlighted that the current uncertainties in the UFC’s heavyweight division make this fight even more important. With the ongoing dispute on who Jon Jones should actually fight ahead of rumored retirement, Murray believes the winner of Ngannou vs. Ferreira could be seen as the true king of the heavyweight division in MMA.

This is the biggest heavyweight fight in MMA of the year. It’s in Riyadh, it has all the makings and the co-main event with Cris Cyborg against Larissa Pacheco who is a two-time PFL champion so it’s a big night.
Peter Murray on Bloody Elbow

The co-main event features Cris Cyborg against Larissa Pacheco, a two-time PFL champion. Murray’s claim is grounded in several factors. Firstly, former UFC champion Francis Ngannou is considered one of the most formidable heavyweight fighters in MMA history. His opponent, Renan Ferreira, is the 2023 PFL heavyweight champion. Therefore, it will be considered the biggest match of the year unless Jon Jones fights Stipe Miocic in 2024.

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