Boxing

Francis Ngannou Calls Out Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder For Next Boxing Fight

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou is ready to return to the boxing ring and is hungry to face the world's best.
Grant Young|
Francis Ngannou at the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou open workout on September 26, 2023.
Francis Ngannou at the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou open workout on September 26, 2023. | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

In the leadup to former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou's first professional boxing match against the then-undefeated English superstar Tyson Fury on October 28, 2023, nearly nobody in the combat sports community believed Ngannou stood a chance of securing victory.

Then Ngannou not only knocked Fury down with a left hook in the third round, but he stood toe to toe against the Gypsy King for all 10 rounds in a fascinating and evenly-matched fight.

While many believed Ngannou did enough to earn a win, it was Fury who ultimately had his hand raised via split decision.

Despite losing the fight, Ngannou seemed to have won the night, as the entire boxing community gave him his well-earned respect afterward.

And this performance earned him a fight against Anthony Joshua on March 8, 2024. However, this one did not go well for Ngannou, as he was knocked out cold in the second round.

Ngannou hasn't boxed since that loss. However, in a February 14 interview with Sportsbook Review, Ngannou revealed his intentions to return to the ring — and listed two potential opponents.

"I don’t know if I will rematch Fury, I hope so," said Ngannou. "I never expected to win that fight by decision. I wasn't surprised. I was sad and people were arguing. But that's just how this game works."

While a Fury rematch would be his ideal next fight, Ngannou also has a fresh opponent firmly in mind.

"[I'm passionate about fighting Deontay Wilder] because there's an 80% chance that somebody will go to sleep," Ngannou is quoted saying. "It will be one or the other."

Ngannou and Wilder are typically considered the two hardest punchers in combat sports. Therefore, a fight between them — despite both coming off of two consecutive defeats — would be absolute fireworks.

In addition to Fury and Wilder, Ngannou listed kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven, Derek Chisora, and Wladimir Klitschko as potential opponents.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.