Francis Ngannou claims he hits harder than Deontay Wilder

Francis Ngannou believes he hits harder than former WBC heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder.

Wilder is touted as one of the hardest-punching boxers ever. 'The Bronze Bomber' is often compared to legends of the sport like Mike Tyson and George Foreman, who were also known for their lethal strikes.

Speaking to former UFC middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping for BT Sport ahead of UFC 270, Ngannou was asked who hits harder between himself and Wilder. 'The Predator' didn't hesitate for a moment and quickly pointed to himself.

"Me, we can try that! Thank you."

Watch Francis Ngannou's interview with BT Sport's Michael Bisping below:

Heavyweight king Ngannou and interim champion Ciryl Gane will square off in the main event of UFC 270 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, this Saturday.

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Francis Ngannou reveals he "accidentally" knocked Ciryl Gane out during sparring session

Francis Ngannou's former head coach and countryman Fernand Lopez currently trains Ciryl Gane at Paris' MMA Factory gym. 'The Predator' isn't on good terms with the 43-year-old trainer.

Last year, sparring footage featuring the top-two UFC heavyweight fighters back when they were teammates was released. Ngannou felt that it was used as a ploy by Lopez to make Gane look good.

During UFC 270 media day on Wednesday, Ngannou said he knocked 'Bon Gamin' out by accident during a training session and that video wasn't released for a reason. He added that he wasn't proud of the incident.

"I knocked him out with a left high kick. There is a lot of reasons why the footage did not come out. Let me say this it wasn't a voluntary knockout, it was in sparring and an accident. I didn't intend to knock him out, so personally it is not something I will go around and be proud of. I won't feel tough because I knocked my sparring partner out... because we are committed to take care of our partner."

Watch Ngannou speak to mixed martial arts reporters at UFC 270 media day below: