Francis Ngannou reveals talks to box Deontay Wilder in Africa on anniversary of 'Rumble in the Jungle'

Francis Ngannou has revealed that talks are underway for him to face Deontay Wilder in Africa.

'The Predator' walked out of the UFC in January as the reigning heavyweight champion. While Ngannou had a lot of issues with the promotion, the biggest is that he was unable to box. Now out of the MMA company, he can do exactly that.

Since becoming a free agent, the former heavyweight titleholder has had a lot of interest from the boxing world. Eddie Hearn has already revealed that he's in discussions for Ngannou to face Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, Tyson Fury has also shown interest in facing the MMA fighter.

However, it seems that Deontay Wilder is currently the leading candidate. 'The Bronze Bomber' previously called out Francis Ngannou for a two-fight series. One takes place in the octagon, and one takes place in the boxing ring.

Weeks on from those comments, it seems the two have made a lot of progress. During an interview with ESPN, Francis Ngannou stated that the bout is being targeted in Africa. He also revealed the two are aiming for two fights, with the second falling on the 50th anniversary of the 'Rumble in the Jungle:'

“We want two fights. Maybe one of those fights in Africa, maybe two of those fights in Africa. Which would be massive, which would be great. I think August next year is the 50th anniversary of ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ and I think that would be an opportunity to do something massive in Africa.”

See his comments below:

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Francis Ngannou downplays Deontay Wilder's MMA fight

Francis Ngannou has no issues facing Deontay Wilder twice but in boxing.

'The Bronze Bomber' called out 'The Predator' last month. At the time, Wilder stated that while he would like to box Ngannou, he wants to take it a step further and do something no boxer has.

He wants to face the MMA fighter in the cage. Wilder noted that in recent matchups similar to his with Ngannou, the fight always takes place in the boxing ring. The former WBC champion is willing to head to the octagon to make it even.

However, Francis Ngannou appears to be uninterested. In an interview with ESPN, the former UFC champion stated:

“We are looking at something around that timeline for the potential second fight. Which, in my opinion, should still be in boxing… Boxing is a new challenge. But remember, at the beginning, MMA was just as challenging as boxing. If not bigger. So, I don’t back down from challenges.”