Francis Ngannou isn't sure that Deontay Wilder is serious about the two-fight deal he has offered that would see them square off in the boxing ring before meeting in MMA.
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Wilder came to a PFL event last week, Ngannou's new home promotion, and declared that he would be willing to face the former UFC title holder in a unique two-fight deal. Usually the MMA fighter moves into boxing, but this time he would step into the cage in return.
However, Ngannou reckons that Wilder may not want that smoke, and has instead offered a two-fight boxing deal, despite how difficult it would be. He has never boxed professionally, but is keen to step straight into a fight with a top name such as Wilder or Tyson Fury.
"It's something that can happen anywhere," Ngannou told Mirror Fighting of the potential Wilder clash. "He would be good in the smart cage for PFL and in MMA. On the boxing side we're going to figure it out because we were talking about one boxing one MMA.
"And I'm not really sure if that's the smoke that he wants but I'm open to give him two boxing fights! It's going to be very challenging for me but that's what I want. I would like to have one of those big names now but there are options because I am not thinking about just having one boxing fight.
"There is also an option if something doesn't work out that I do maybe a warm-up fight or something to get a feel of it, but I'm interested in all of it. The goal of taking a fight like that would be to get to the next big fight."
Wilder last week watched fights from cageside and met with fans in Atlanta at the first week of PFL's three-week residency. But perhaps the most interesting part of his trip was the chance he took to try on the sport's 4oz gloves, which provide less than half the padding of his usual 10oz boxing glove.
Who do you think would win a boxing fight between Francis Ngannou and Deontay Wilder? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
After trying them on, he called out Ngannou telling Mirror Fighting in an exclusive chat: "I would love that because I haven't seen that structure in place yet at this point in time. Many times the MMA fighter crosses over to this field of boxing, but you never see boxing crossing over. You've seen it with Ray Mercer at one point in time, James Toney, Claressa Shields has done it.
"But as far as the perspective where they come over and then you return the favour and go back over? I think that would be somewhat of an interest. It would also give us two fights, both businesses so people can see both sides and we'll see what happens.
"I put it out one time and he wasn't too fond of that idea. He wanted to keep it with boxing so time has passed now and there may be a different mindset now."
