Is Francis Ngannou fighting Deontay Wilder? Wilder's original proposal of boxing-MMA fights and Ngannou's counter-offer

Francis Ngannou has accepted Deontay Wilder's challenge following the former WBC heavyweight champion's recent announcement of free agency. 'The Bronze Bomber' initially laid down the gauntlet by expressing his desire to not only box Francis Ngannou, but also face him in an MMA bout.

After ‘The Predator’ was released from his UFC contract, he received multiple call-outs from the boxing world. With his intentions to pursue boxing made very clear, he also appeared inside the ring alongside Tyson Fury after the latter’s bout with Dillian Whyte to tease a potential hybrid-rules fight.

However, Francis Ngannou may have a new challenger in Deontay Wilder. In a recent interview, Wilder suggested that he and Ngannou should fight twice, once in the boxing ring and then in an MMA cage.

As expected, Ngannou accepted the American's offer but requested that they stick to boxing only. In a humorous tweet, the Cameroonian explained that he didn't want Wilder hurting his limbs in an MMA fight against him.

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Alex Pereira labels Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou "suicide" for the former UFC champion

Alex Pereira is of the opinion that Francis Ngannou doesn't stand a chance against Tyson Fury in a boxing match.

Ngannou vs. Fury has been the talk of the town since the Cameroonian's UFC exit earlier this year. The heavyweight duo proposed a hydrid-rules matchup, so it remains to be seen whether they will go down that road or have a regular boxing fight instead.

While Ngannou's knockout power is undeniable, many have questioned whether his attributes will carry over into the boxing ring, especially against a life-long pugilist like 'The Gypsy King'.

Alex Pereira has weighed in on the matchup and claimed that 'The Predator' will struggle against elite heavyweight boxers despite having immense power. In a recent interview with MMAFighting, the UFC middleweight champion said:

"It depends if he’s [Ngannou] fighting the elite... Tyson is hard. It’s suicide… There are other guys for him to start. One step at a time... To say ‘I’m going there because I want to become champion,’ that’s hard. Boxing someone who can defend from his punches, Ngannou would get tired.”

Tyson Fury has been strongly linked to a blockbuster fight against Oleksandr Usyk of late, with the duo rumored to be squaring off later this year. Francis Ngannou could opt to wait for Fury or take on Deontay Wilder in the meantime instead.