Oct 9, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Deontay Wilder (red/black trunks) and Tyson Fury (black/gold trunks) box during their WBC/Lineal heavyweight championship boxing match at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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“No Fear, No Fold, No Fake” – Deontay Wilder Accepts Former UFC Champion’s Bold Challenge

In recent years, Boxing has become the place where MMA fighters go to test their striking skills and make serious money. We have seen this crossover story play out countless times before, with mixed results that range from embarrassing to surprisingly competitive. Conor McGregor famously stepped into the ring with Floyd Mayweather back in 2017, putting up a decent fight before getting stopped in the tenth round. More recently, fans watched Francis Ngannou shock the boxing world by going toe to toe with Tyson Fury and nearly pulling off one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history.

Now it looks like Ngannou wants to complete his boxing bucket list by facing the third member of heavyweight boxing‘s former big three. After testing himself against Fury and Anthony Joshua, ‘The Predator’ has been making noise about wanting to fight Deontay Wilder and the American knockout artist seems ready to oblige.

Deontay Wilder Throws Down The Gauntlet

Wilder’s message was typical of his no-nonsense approach . He tagged Ngannou and made it clear he’s ready to settle things in the boxing ring. This potential matchup represents everything fans love about combat sports crossovers, pitting two of the hardest punchers from their respective sports against each other.

“Respect, but I’m ten toes down. No fear, no fold, no fake.. Always ready, always solid. Step in the ring and you’ll see what that means.”

Deontay Wilder responds to Francis Ngannou's callout

"Respect, but I’m ten toes down. No fear, no fold, no fake.. Always ready, always solid. Step in the ring and you’ll see what that means." 👀😳

🎥 @BronzeBomber pic.twitter.com/1osALhQt70
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 30, 2025

Wilder’s willingness to face Ngannou makes perfect sense from multiple angles. The American recently fought and won against Tyrrell Anthony Herndon before 2 consecutive losses. A fight with Ngannou would generate massive interest from both boxing and MMA fans. The ‘Bronze Bomber’ has built his reputation on having some of the most devastating knockout power in boxing history, recording 42 knockouts in his 47 professional fights. His right hand has ended more careers than most fighters see in their entire time in the sport, earning him a fearsome reputation that extends far beyond just boxing circles.

The potential clash between these two knockout artists would create a fascinating stylistic matchup. Both men possess freakish power that can end fights with a single shot. But they have developed their skills in completely different environments. Ngannou learned to punch people while wearing small gloves in a cage where wrestling and clinch work constantly interrupted striking exchanges. Wilder perfected his craft wearing large gloves in a ring where pure boxing technique reigns supreme. The size factor heavily favors Ngannou, who walks around much heavier than most boxers and has the kind of raw strength that comes from years of MMA training. However, Wilder’s boxing experience and ring craft could prove decisive if he can avoid Ngannou’s power shots early in the fight.

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Deontay Wilder

Francis Ngannou

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!