Boxing star Deontay Wilder ready to make a run inside the Octagon: ‘I’ll be a dangerous man in the uFC’
Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has his sights set on stepping inside the Octagon before closing out his combat sports career.
With 42 knockouts against 43 career victories, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is considered to be one of the most dangerous strikers in the sweet science, but how would he fare in the world of mixed martial arts? Perhaps fight fans won’t have to wait long to find out.
During a recent interview with Blue Blood Sports TV, Wilder revealed that he’s seriously considering a move to MMA, believing his signature power will be downright deadly in a pair of four-ounce gloves.
“I’m thinking about doing both, UFC and boxing. I’ll be a dangerous man in the UFC with four-ounce gloves… I feel like picking up a big body and slamming him, then getting on top of him and beating the sh*t out of him,” Wilder said.
‼️ Deontay Wilder has declared that he intends to cross over to MMA and fight in the UFC before he retires: “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 slamming him, then getting on top…
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) November 8, 2023
Deontay Wilder recently expressed interest in a potential meeting with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The Predator’ made his pro boxing debut last month against Tyson Fury, and delivered a stunning performance against the man many believe to be the best pugilist in the world today. Now, every heavyweight boxer is chomping at the bit to test out their skills against Nagannou.
Francis Ngannou Open to MMA Clash with Deontay Wilder
Following his close split decision loss to ‘The Gypsy King’ in Saudi Arabia, Ngannou revealed that Wilder has been training in MMA for some time, suggesting that the two could face one another in a boxing ring or the PFL Smart Cage.
“That’s something that can potentially happen. Deontay Wilder for a couple of months, or a little while, has been training MMA because there’s an option here. Nothing is set, but some things have been coming to my attention, so that’s something that makes sense,” Ngannou told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
“He’s really serious about MMA. A lot of people talk – ‘I’m going to do this in boxing and do that in MMA’ – but Deontay Wilder is very interested in MMA, and even just to step in the (cage) for MMA and MMA only. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a different beast for him.”
Of course, Francis Ngannou isn’t the only option out there for Deontay Wilder. After the success of Ngannou vs. Fury, the UFC will likely be open to booking their own crossover clash inside the Octagon.
