Francis Ngannou is set to fight Renan Ferreira in his promotional debut with the Professional Fighters League on Saturday, October 26. However, Ngannou isn’t finished with boxing.
Ngannou appeared on Sky Sports Boxing and shared his desire to have two more boxing matches. Ngannou was asked what big names he would target for those fights.
“Why not a name like [Deontay] Wilder or a rematch with [Tyson] Fury,” Ngannou said. “I don’t know. I’m down for everything that makes sense.”
Ngannou more than has his hands full with Ferreira.
The 6-foot-7 Brazilian giant is arguably the most athletic heavyweight in the world. If he beats Ngannou, and that’s a real possibility, he will likely vault himself into the world’s Top 3 or 4 heavyweights–regardless of promotion.
Even with that challenge on deck, it is smart for Ngannou to keep boxing options open. Ngannou has said he made more from his two boxing matches with Fury and Anthony Joshua than during his entire UFC career.
While a boxing match with Wilder might not be as lucrative, it will still be a substantial payday. The fight makes the most sense for both men at this stage of their very different boxing journeys.
Wilder’s days of being a top-flight contender at heavyweight are over. He’s lost four of his last five fights, with three defeats coming by stoppage. He’ll also be 39 years old on October 22.
While 39 isn’t ancient for a heavyweight, the wars with Fury and the stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang in his last fight have likely taken a toll on him mentally and perhaps physically. It wouldn’t be wise to throw Wilder in the ring with a younger, experienced heavyweight, as most of those fights wouldn’t generate the same revenue as a matchup with Ngannou.
As for Ngannou, the combat sports star needs a win in the sweet science. While he may have performed well against Fury and made good money in his previous boxing matches, he needs a victory to establish himself in that sport.
Defeating Wilder won’t be easy for Ngannou, but the Bronze Bomber is the most vulnerable of every big name in the heavyweight division. If Wilder can prove to Ngannou that there are yet more levels to the game that he hasn’t reached, both men would still walk away richer for the experience.
We’ll see what happens on Saturday in Riyadh with Ngannou and Ferreira, but remember this matchup during the first quarter of 2025.
Be on the lookout for fight week coverage of PFL’s Battle of the Giants SuperFights PPV. In addition to Ngannou-Ferreira, Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg will face PFL’s featherweight champion Larissa Pacheco in the co-main event.
I’ll have a preview on October 17 and a recap of the event on October 19.
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