The prospect of a boxing match between former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder and MMA star Francis Ngannou seems to be growing more realistic with each passing day. The two fighters give the clear impression that they like the idea—at least judging by their recent posts on social media.
Ngannou was the first to issue the challenge, tagging Wilder in an Instagram post that included a training video along with the words:
“It’s time to finally settle the debate.”
The Bronze Bomber then replied to his potential rival, writing:
“Respect, but I’m ten toes down No fear, no fold, no fake.. Always ready, always solid. Step in the ring and you’ll see what that means.”
Wilder is likely looking for the last big payday of his career after having slipped significantly down the international rankings. Between late 2023 and early 2024, the Bronze Bomber suffered two consecutive defeats: he was dominated on points by Joseph Parker and brutally knocked out by Zhilei Zhang.
The American then snapped his losing streak with a win at the end of June, but his performance against the modest Tyrrell Anthony Herndon failed to generate much excitement. Even though he stopped his opponent in seven rounds, Wilder seemed to show that his once-feared knockout power has almost completely vanished, as he wore Herndon down more through attrition than the sharpness of his punches.
As for Ngannou, he has only had two professional boxing bouts—with completely opposite outcomes. In his pro debut, he gave Tyson Fury all sorts of trouble, dropping him in the third round and losing by the narrowest of decisions. But his attempt to replicate that excellent performance against Anthony Joshua ended in disaster, as AJ demolished him in just two rounds.