Deontay Wilder says he'll fight Francis Ngannou before he retires from boxing. The former WBC heavyweight champ is sure it's going to happen.
Wilder's career has hit a rough patch lately. He knocked out Robert Helenius in the first round, but then lost to Joseph Parker on points. His last fight in June 2023 ended in a stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang. Now, he's getting ready to face Tyrrell Herndon in Kansas this summer.
Before these setbacks, Wilder was a force to be reckoned with. He held the WBC heavyweight title and defended it 10 times. He stopped every opponent he faced until his trilogy with Tyson Fury.
The Fury fights changed everything for Wilder. Their first bout ended in a draw that many people argued about. Fury won the next two by stoppage, taking Wilder's belt in the process.
Now, Wilder's name gets thrown around with other top heavyweights like Anthony Joshua, Fabio Wardley, and Dillian Whyte. But it's the potential fight with Francis Ngannou that's got everyone talking.
Wilder told DAZN Boxing:
"Me and Francis, that fight still comes up. It came up two more times not too long ago. We're just trying to figure out how they want the segment to go with me and Ngannou. I'm definitely interested, he is as well. I guess it's a matter of time."
He added:
"Time is always the matter of all things… That's something that is going to be created and something that is looking to be done. It's just getting everything together. People can look forward to that. Stay tuned."
Ngannou, who used to be the UFC heavyweight champ, has already dipped his toes in boxing. He lost a close fight to Tyson Fury, even knocking Fury down at one point. But his last fight didn't go so well. Anthony Joshua knocked him out in the second round back in March.
Wilder seems confident the fight with Ngannou will happen. Now we'll have to wait and see if they can make it work.
