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Former Boxing World Champion Amir Khan Explains Why Francis Ngannou Would Beat Deontay Wilder

Following his return to MMA at PFL’s Battle of the Giants in October, there has been a lot of conversation regarding what will be next for Francis Ngannou. His first-round finish over Renan Ferreira doesn’t leave a whole lot of interesting matchups for him in MMA but he does have the option of going back […]

Ngannou has boxed twice since departing the UFC in January of 2023 and though he is without a win on his pro record, a lot of fans thought that he should have got his hand raised against Tyson Fury back in October last year. One name that has consistently been mentioned in connection with the former UFC heavyweight champion is Deontay Wilder.

“The Bronze Bomber” is still one of the biggest names in the heavyweight division but following his recent form, he would seemingly be a better opponent for Ngannou than the likes of Fury and Anthony Joshua. Wilder has not looked the same in his latest outings and losses against Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker and though it looked like he might retire, the knockout artist appears to be gearing up for one more.

In a recent interview with The Sports Daily, former world champion turned analyst Amir Khan said that he would pick Ngannou to win that fight if he does get booked to face Wilder next time out. Based on his back-to-back losses, Khan isn’t sure whether Wilder has the same hunger anymore and getting in the ring with Ngannou is a dangerous prospect to begin with.

“Wilder’s last fight was really bad. You always look at the last fight and Wilder is done to be honest with you. I like Wilder but Ngannou has the power to hurt him.

“Ngannou is not the best boxer but he put on a good fight against Fury and got knocked out against AJ. Ngannou is going to win that fight. Unless Wilder comes in as a different fighter with that fire in his belly.”

Deontay Wilder Calls Out Francis Ngannou ‘I’ve been betrayed’

Deontay Wilder vs. Francis Ngannou Former boxing world champion Deontay Wilder is looking to get a boxing match with MMA world champion Francis Ngannou….

Former boxing world champion Deontay Wilder is looking to get a boxing match with MMA world champion Francis Ngannou. The Cameroonian-born Ngannou has competed in the ring against boxing royalty and has earned gold in MMA.

Deontay Wilder vs. Francis Ngannou

Deontay Wilder and Francis Ngannou are two of the most formidable power punchers in combat sports. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Wilder began boxing at the relatively late age of 20 but quickly rose through the ranks, winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. Wilder turned professional shortly after and became the WBC heavyweight champion in 2015, holding the title until 2020. He is renowned for his exceptional punching power, with a knockout-to-win percentage of 97.67%, the highest in heavyweight history. He has earned him 20 first-round knockouts in his career.

Francis Ngannou PFL — Photo by Tim Wheaton

Ngannou’s journey to combat sports stardom is remarkable, overcoming poverty and homelessness to become a champion. He began his career in MMA, rising to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion before transitioning to professional boxing. Currently, he is the PFL Heavyweight World Champion, having captured this title by way of first-round KO.

Deontay Wilder, coming off recent losses, needs a high-profile win to re-establish himself at the top of the heavyweight division. For Ngannou, a victory over a former world champion like Wilder would solidify his credibility as a boxer. The potential fight between Wilder and Ngannou would be a clash of two of the hardest hitters in combat sports.

Deontay Wilder, in a recent interview with TMZ, discussed how his mental state currently is coming off of a recent KO loss. He explained:

“We’re still going. We’re still here. We’re just getting things together. You know, handling a lot of stuff. I’ve had a lot of outside distractions that I had to get rid of. A lot of burdens I was carrying. I’ve taken care of a lot of people, but it got to a point where I couldn’t do it anymore. I can’t take care of everybody. Even the people closest to me, you know? I’ve been betrayed. I’ve been betrayed so many times, and it’s like a domino effect that’s been going on for the last five years. Anybody who’s been through betrayal knows—it’s worse than heartbreak.”

On facing Francis Ngannou, Wilder explained:

“What’s up, brother? I hope everything’s going good for you, man. I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a child. I pray I never have to feel that. I hope life is treating you well, though. I’m still looking to get in the mix, talk about the fight. Francis is a powerful hitter, but you know, I’ve got a body of work that speaks for itself.

“You’re always going to have competition, always going to have a fight on your hands. That’s why you’ve got to respect every man who steps in the ring. You just never know what kind of dog they’ll bring to the fight.”

Deontay Wilder Welcomes Francis Ngannou Clash After Dismissing Retirement Calls

Following his successful return to MMA last month, it isn’t clear yet what Francis Ngannou’s next step will be. There was a lot of pressure and emotion surrounding his long awaited PFL debut against Renan Ferreira. Not only was Ngannou coming off his first knockout loss where he was stopped by Anthony Joshua in his […]

Continue Reading Deontay Wilder Welcomes Francis Ngannou Clash After Dismissing Retirement Calls at MMA News.

Not only was Ngannou coming off his first knockout loss where he was stopped by Anthony Joshua in his second boxing match, the former UFC heavyweight champion was motivated to return to competition in the memory of his late son Kobe. Getting his hand raised in the PFL by any means neccesary was his primary focus but after dominating Ferreira and finishing him in the first round, there isn’t a clear next challenge for him in MMA.

Even with a record of 0-2, there are still some big fights left for Ngannou in the boxing world and though it might not be on the same level as his fights with Tyson Fury or Joshua, a meeting with Deontay Wilder would still be a big draw even if both men are coming off of knockout losses in the ring.

Wilder was finished in the fifth round by Zhilei Zhang in June in what looked like could be the final outing of his 48-fight career. “The Bronze Bomber” recently revealed in an interview with TMZ that he’s working towards a return after taking some time off.

“The best is yet to come, I always say that. We’re still going, we’re still here, you know what I mean we just getting things together man. I’m just handling a lot of things, I had a lot of outside distractions that I had to get rid of.”

Wilder also spoke about the potential of facing Ngannou next time out, sending his potential opponent a message of support after the difficult year he has gone through.

“Even since I’ve been off and stuff like that, it’s been a lot of offers coming in, a lot of things, different countries and stuff like that and even with Francis, what’s up brother. I hope everything’s going good for you man and I’m sorry for your loss. I can only imagine what it’s like to lose a child man, I never hope to even feel that feeling of it but I wish, I hope life is going beautifully for you bro and yeah, that’s a conversation I’m still looking to getting in the mix and talk about.”

Continue Reading Deontay Wilder Welcomes Francis Ngannou Clash After Dismissing Retirement Calls at MMA News.

Exclusive | Zhilei Zhang on the Double-Edged Sword of Wilder KO – Heavyweights are Scared ‘They don’t want to fight me’

Earlier this year, China’s Zhilei Zhang scored a huge knockout win against the former boxing world champion Deontay Wilder,…

Earlier this year, China’s Zhilei Zhang scored a huge knockout win against the former boxing world champion Deontay Wilder, but now every heavyweight is scared to face him. ‘Big Bang’ Zhang spoke with LowKickMMA and AceOdds for an interview to discuss his most recent win.

Zhilei Zhang Knocks Out Deontay Wilder

As an amateur, the southpaw Zhilei Zhang won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and bronze medals at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships. As a professional, Zhang has compiled an impressive record of 27 wins with 22 of his victories coming by knockout. At a towering 6’6″ the former WBO interim heavyweight title holder packs serious power.

Despite suffering a loss to Joseph Parker in March 2024, Zhang bounced back with a notable victory over former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in June 2024. But now, back in the top five, after his major win, most other heavyweights at the top are too scared to face him. Speaking to him in an interview, Zhilei Zhang explained:

“It’s a double-edged sword. The good thing is after I lost to Parker in March, I was kind of out of the mix, but with the victory, I was back in the mix again. That’s the good thing about it. It put my career right back on track.

“The negative side is that after knocking out Wilder, people look at me like, he’s from another planet. They don’t want to fight me. They look at me like somebody they want to avoid at all costs. That puts me and my team in a difficult position in terms of looking for opponents and securing big fights. I really feel like the elite heavyweights should just come and face me and just let it be done.”

Zhilei Zhang On His Future

‘Big Bang’ Zhilei Zhang is hoping maybe Riyadh Season with Saudi Arabia and Turki Alalshikh can make some choices to help move this heavyweight title picture along. He continued:

“I think it’s really smart for his excellency to put everything together. Obviously, we’re benefiting from it but at the same time, they are making fights that we would normally never get to see. They made a lot of fights that we can only dream about and this is really such a good thing.

“Also on the other side, Riyadh season is the big push behind everything, I think they made the whole world realise what a wonderful country Saudi Arabia is. People are looking at Saudi Arabia as the centre of professional boxing and of sports as well.”

The top-five-ranked Zhang has a close eye on the upcoming rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. He said that he would happily face either one, the Chinese-born athlete added:

“I’ll do it now. Without hesitation.”

China's Zhilei Zhang scored a huge knockout win against the former boxing world champion Deontay Wilder, but now every heavyweight is scared to face him. pic.twitter.com/PvoeaI60S7

— Timothy Wheaton MMA (@TimWheatonMMA) November 9, 2024

Deontay Wilder Reveals Bold Pick for Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: “Suffer the consequences.”

Deontay Wilder thinks the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation made a big mistake by sanctioning Mike Tyson’s fight…

Deontay Wilder thinks the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation made a big mistake by sanctioning Mike Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul as a professional bout.

On Friday, November 15, the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ will return to the ring for the first time in nearly two decades when he takes on ‘The Problem Child’ inside the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. From the moment their fight was announced, pundits have slammed the pairing, many of them taking exception to the ridiculous 31-year age gap between Tyson and the YouTube star.

Deontay Wilder Fears for Mike Tyson’s well-being in Jake Paul fight

Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder recently voiced his disgust for the TLDR’s decision to license Tyson, believing that it could put the 58-year-old icon in serious harm.

“I think it’s bad the commission has licensed Mike Tyson because he hasn’t been active in 20 years, so they should not just license him because of who he is, that’s how people get hurt, god forbid he gets hurt,” Wilder told talkSPORT. “People can get hit in the wrong place and at the wrong time, there’s lots of examples where guys have been hit into a coma. It’s easy to do. He’s too old for this.

“At the end of the day, no one gives a f*ck about Mike. We can talk about the pros and cons, but at the end of the day, they don’t give a f*ck. I don’t think anyone cares about Mike because if they did they wouldn’t sanction the fight.

“They may say they’ve done tests and all that, ok, but as long as you’re willing to suffer the consequences if something bad goes wrong. His power may not have left completely but you still need to set it up, your stamina needs to be a certain way, or it’s going to look like a clown show.”

Paul vs. Tyson has already been postponed once after ‘Iron’ suffered a medical emergency during a cross-country flight in May. The incident was ultimately chalked to an ulcer flare-up, but it was enough to push the fight out of its originally scheduled July 20 date.

Paul vs. Tyson will air exclusively on Netflix.