Francis Ngannou confirms ‘discussions’ with Deontay Wilder over a mixed rules fight are ‘TRUE’ after rumours… as the former UFC heavyweight champion insists he wants to face ‘only the top fighters’

Francis Ngannou is in discussions about a mixed rules fight with Deontay Wilder.

Rumors of the fight have been circulating for months and now Ngannou has confirmed that talks are already taking place ahead of the Tyson Fury fight.

Wilder plans to transition to MMA and fight in the UFC before retiring from professional sports, although no deal has yet been reached with Ngannou.

Ngannou is a former UFC champion, who left the promotion earlier this year and pushed Fury all the way to the front during their boxing match in Riyadh in October.

While the Gypsy King survived to hit the deck and secure a split-decision victory, the world sat up and the WBC placed Ngannou in their top ten heavyweights.

Francis Ngannou confirmed he is in 'talks' over mixed rules fight with Deontay Wilder

The Predator defeated Tyson Fury in their boxing fight in October, but lost via split decision

Wilder has not competed in the ring since knocking out Robert Helenius last October

Ngannou told the Last Stand podcast: 'I prefer to fight only the top fighters.

'Why did I fight Tyson Fury? Because he is the top of the game, I wanted to get to the top and I want the best. I want the big fights, the big show. I want everything big. Ultimately it is a sport, we do what we have to do.

“The talk about a mixed rules fight with Deontay Wilder is true because even before this fight (against Tyson Fury) we had discussions.”

Wilder has not been in the ring since beating Robert Helenius in October 2022, but will face Joseph Parker on December 23 in Riyadh.

That will be on a huge card, because Anthony Joshua will talk to Otto Wallin the same evening.

Previously an undisputed WBC champion, the Bronze Bomber still harbors ambitions of becoming the unified heavyweight champion of the world.

Such an endeavor obviously means he will have to think carefully about when he can face Ngannou in the UFC.

Ngannou insisted he 'only wants to fight the best fighters' and said talks with Wilder are underway ahead of the Fury fight

Wilder still hopes to become a unified world heavyweight boxing champion, but hopes to balance that ambition with a UFC stint before retiring

However, he strives to balance both disciplines. He told Blue Blood Sports TV: 'I'm thinking about doing both, UFC and boxing. I'll be a dangerous man in the UFC with 4oz gloves.

I feel like picking up a big body and hitting him (Ngannou), then getting on top of him and beating him up.”

Fury spoke in similarly vociferous terms ahead of his fight with Ngannou but left the ring with more questions than answers despite it being his opponent's first-ever professional boxing match.

Ngannou would be a formidable opponent if Wilder were to move on to the UFC, as he has 17 wins and 3 losses during his career in the promotion.