Francis Ngannou Names Ideal Opponent For Boxing Return

Many assumed that Wilder, 39, would retire after his knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang in June 2024. Instead, he took a one-year hiatus, but returned in June with a seventh-round TKO win over Tyrrell Herndon.

Despite his triumphant return, Wilder is still just 2-4 in his last six fights dating back to a February 2020 matchup with Tyson Fury. Three of his four losses have been by brutal knockout. Wilder has not been too vocal about what he wants to do next after the win over Herndon, but did acknowledge that he is open to fighting Ngannou.

Francis Ngannou's tumultuous career arc

While Ngannou is targeting a boxing return against Wilder soon, he admitted that life outside of the ring has been difficult for him lately. Ngannou, who previously lost his infant son in early 2024, opened up about his involvement in a recent car crash that caused the death of a teenage girl.

Luck has not been on Ngannou's side lately, even from a business standpoint. The former UFC star was atop the world when he defended his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, but the win only marked the beginning of what would be a drawn-out, drama-filled negotiation process that ended with his departure from the organization.

After parting ways with the UFC in early 2023, Ngannou signed with the PFL later that year in a deal that allowed him to box. He made his subsequent debut against Fury later in the year and dropped a split decision, but gained the respect of fans and critics alike. His success in the bout led to the matchup with Joshua five months later that ended with a violent second-round knockout loss.

As his 39th birthday approaches in September, Ngannou has only fought once in the last year and has not boxed in 17 months. However, a matchup with Wilder would make sense from both an age standpoint and in terms of where the fighters are in their respective careers.