vs. ? It could happen.
Ngannou made a successful return to MMA competition last October, with a massive first-round knockout at PFL . It was Ngannou's first MMA fight since January 2022, when he parted ways with the UFC in 2023, signed with the PFL and then took part in two high-profile boxing matches against him And .
After his victory over Ferreira, Ngannou dedicated the victory to his son Kobe, who tragically died last April. He declined to comment on what his next move would be, although boxing remains at stake and Wilder is interested in negotiating a possible clash between heavyweight stars.
“Even since I’ve been away, a lot of offers have come in,” Wilder said . “A lot of things in different countries and stuff like that. I hope you're doing well with Francis too. I'm sorry for your loss. I can only imagine what it's like to lose a child. I hope never to feel this feeling at all. I hope life goes well for you, brother.”
“That’s a conversation I still want to talk about,” Wilder added when asked about the Ngannou fight.
Wilder, a former WBC titleholder, is in the worst slump of his career with just one win in his last five outings. Last April he lost to via TKO in the fifth round. The 39-year-old remains highly regarded for his finishing prowess, with all but one of his 43 career wins coming by KO/TKO.
Ngannou is 0-2 as a pro, although he was widely praised for defeating Fury en route to a controversial split decision loss. Against Joshua his defeat was more obvious as he was eliminated in the second round.
Regardless of what the official filing says, Wilder Ngannou will not be overlooked when they step into the ring together.
“Every fight is competitive,” Wilder said. “When you have a man who has two hands and two feet and who has a heart and the will to win, then you have competition. You have a fight ahead of you. That's why when you enter the ring, you respect every man who gets in there. You just never know what dog he’ll bring to the fight.”
It is unknown when Wilder will be able to compete, as he told TMZ Sports that he suffered an arm injury (“two tears in my shoulder”) in November 2023 before losses to Zhang and Joseph Parker. Looking ahead to his recovery, Wilder is optimistic that he can continue to perform at his best.
“For me, the best is yet to come,” said Wilder. “We’re still going. We're still here. We just bring things together, I just take care of a lot of things. I had a lot of outside distractions that I needed to get rid of, a big burden that was weighing on me. I cared for a lot of people and there came a point where I just couldn't do it anymore. I have seven children myself, I can’t take care of them all.”
“Even those closest to me have been betrayed by so many people. It's been a domino effect over the last five years. If anyone knows about betrayal, it’s worse than heartbreak.”
