Francis Ngannou’s journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. From his rise in the UFC to his controversial departure, his foray into boxing, and now a return to MMA, ‘The Predator’ has faced challenges that would leave most fighters reeling. Yet, as he gears up for his upcoming MMA showdown against Renan Ferreira, Ngannou’s gaze is already set on a future opponent—Deontay Wilder.

But would the fight be a financially viable option for the pair? According to a UFC veteran, there’s something that Wilder should be wary of if he is willing to throw down against Ngannou. Because according to him, there is a scenario where ‘The Bronze Bomber’ and Ngannou can walk away with a hefty purse and it does not involve the squared circle!

UFC veteran claims MMA might be the way to go for Francis Ngannou vs Deontay Wilder

In a recent interview with TalkSPORT, Francis Ngannou shared that he is ready to lace up the boxing gloves once again after he deals with Renan Ferreira on October 19. ‘The Predator’ stated that, “Absolutely. I would love that (Wilder) fight. Pure boxing, don’t be delusional here. That’s where we both stand a chance. But if we go MMA only one man stands a chance.”

Speaking on his YouTube channel, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen weighed in on this scenario and offered up a surprising take. Sonnen shared that, “Deontay could do a level of business with Francis. Now you’re going to lose. And I don’t mean the competition, I mean whoever puts that on is going to lose money. That is a much better and much more interesting fight than the two previous fights that Francis has had and they lost money.”

Sonnen, always the keen strategist brought up the fact that, “There is not a boxing match that Deontay can get $2 million dollars for. That will not happen again in this lifetime. Whoever fights Francis next gets $2 million, like that was just part of the negotiation. Now, I’m not saying just because he can get it that it makes sense to do.”

Deontay Wilder is currently on a 2-fight losing streak and has only won 1 out of his past 5 fights. As such, Sonnen suggested that, “…but what I am saying is Francis brought up an interesting point and the point was if we go to boxing, do you, the public, believe that we can both win. If we come to MMA, which we won’t do because you, the public, don’t believe each of us could win, you know it would be me. Is he right about that?”

Imagine the spectacle: Wilder’s thunderous punches against Francis Ngannou’s all-around combat skills. Would the public buy into such a fight? Sonnen thinks so, arguing that the unpredictability of an MMA bout could make it a must-see event. However, Wilder isn’t the only boxer in Ngannou’s crosshairs!

‘The Predator’ puts boxing heavyweights on notice  

Francis Ngannou shocked the world when he went the distance with Tyson Fury back in 2023 and lost via controversial split decision. In his second boxing fight, he took on Anthony Joshua in 2024 but suffered a heart-breaking second loss knockout at the hands of the British boxer. But has that dampened his desire to test himself inside the squared circle? Not at all!

In his conversation with TalkSPORT, ‘The Predator’ affirmed that he isn’t done with boxing just yet. A confident Ngannou declared, “And even more boxers, (Oleksandr Usyk?) Why not (fight) everyone? I have the Fury rematch then Deontay Wilder on the wish list.”

Usyk is currently scheduled to rematch Tyson Fury in December in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. And with the Ferreira fight still to go, Ngannou may have to wait a while before he dons the boxing gloves yet again. So, what do you think, should Francis Ngannou face Deontay Wilder in an MMA bout instead of a boxing match? And what about his goal to take on other top heavyweights? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!