After Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou has a third heavyweight boxer on bucket list
Francis Ngannou believes that he needs to face Deontay Wilder before all is said and done.
'The Predator' recently signed a deal to return to the boxing ring on March 8. There, he will face former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. 'AJ' scored a knockout win over Otto Wallin on his most recent trip to the ring in December.
That night also saw the return of 'The Bronze Bomber'. Wilder faced Joseph Parker in the co-main event, with the expectation that he would face Joshua if he won. Instead, the Australian battered the former champion across 12 rounds, winning by decision.
Due to the brutal loss, Wilder lost out on a career-high payday against Joshua. The Brit will now be Ngannou's next fight, and the PFL heavyweight knows just how lucky he is to get the opportunity.
Speaking with Sky Sports, the former UFC champion admitted that he's already got two of three names he wanted when he first ventured into boxing. However, Ngannou still wants to face Wilder before all is said and done.
In the interview, the PFL heavyweight stated (h/t BoxingScene):
"I'm here for the boxing career and there I have a lot of challenges, a lot of names. For example, the top three guys that I've always had are Fury, Joshua and Wilder. Wilder better get it together because I'm not done, I want that name on my record."
Francis Ngannou confirms talks to face Deontay Wilder in the PFL
In the span of two months, Francis Ngannou's future was turned upside down, arguably for the better.
Thanks to the loss of 'The Bronze Bomber' in December, he's getting a shot at Anthony Joshua on March 8. However, speaking with Sky Sports, Ngannou revealed that Wilder was also in talks to fight him as well.
Furthermore, they were in talks to fight in the PFL cage, not the boxing ring. While Wilder previously teased a move to MMA, many just assumed he was trying to make headlines. As it turns out, that wasn't the case.
In the interview with Sky Sports, Ngannou stated:
"Two months ago, we were talking about fighting Deontay Wilder in the PFL [Professional Fighters League]. The landscape can change quick. Everything is possible."