Heading into the last week of February 2020, Deontay Wilder (43-2) boasted an undefeated record as a professional boxer. Although his collision course with Tyson Fury (33-0) ended unfavorably with two straight losses and relinquishing his WBC Heavyweight title, "The Bronze Bomber" bounced back with a win over Robert Helenius last October.  One month later, the WBC ordered an elimination fight between Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr. to determine who would be deemed the number one contender for a potential bout with the winner of the impending "Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk" fight. In the wake of the announcement, Wilder reportedly indicated that he would not face off against Ruiz Jr because of the lackluster financial implications involving PBC. Therefore, he appears to have his sights set on a matchup with Anthony Joshua (25-3) in Saudi Arabia sometime in December. 

“The offer is definitely out there, and it's a real thing," Wilder said. "I think it definitely is going to take place.”

On Thursday, the ambitious 37-year-old elaborated on his vision to venture beyond the heavyweight division in boxing by stating his desire for a two-fight deal with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou (17-3) that would see them compete against one another in the squared circle and the octagon. 

“I thought about this many times,” Wilder said. “Even with Ngannou, we were talking about getting together. You always see the MMA guys crossing over, but you never see the boxers crossing over. So I said I’m willing to make it more interesting for the fans and just the whole combat family as in a whole...I said why don’t you come to my backyard, and after we handle business, I can come to yours and crossover, and I really meant it. So things are still up in the air, but I have seen myself on this side of the field. People will be very impressed on what I can do in my abilities to be here.”

If the crossover dream bout were to occur, it would pit the hardest-hitting puncher in boxing (according to DAZN) against the man with the most powerful punch in the history of the UFC (according to a strike test conducted by Athlete Fit Clips in 2018). For now, Ngannou appears to be angling for an MMA showdown with Jon Jones (27-1).

Source: MMA Fighting