Francis Ngannou has sparked excitement in the boxing world by expressing interest in a high-profile match against Deontay Wilder ahead of his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira on October 19.

Ngannou, stepping into the octagon for the first time since his UFC 270 victory over Ciryl Gane, is gearing up for his bout against Ferreira, nearly a year after his boxing debut against Tyson Fury. In that October 2023 fight, Ngannou managed to knock Fury down with a left hook and lost by a narrow split-decision before facing Anthony Joshua in his second professional boxing match, where he was knocked out.

In an exclusive interview with talkSPORT, Ngannou was asked about a potential fight with “The Bronze Bomber” and whether it could take place in the octagon.

“I would absolutely love that fight,” Ngannou said. “In pure boxing, we both have a chance, but if we go MMA, only one man stands a chance.”

Ngannou revealed that he has long wanted this fight and that discussions about it had taken place in the past but never progressed.

Wilder’s recent defeat to Zhilei Zhang in June in Saudi Arabia, which ended his hopes of a future fight with Anthony Joshua, has intensified speculation about a potential clash with Ngannou.

Ngannou was also asked about the possibility of fighting Wilder before other major boxing matches involving Joshua and Fury. He expressed interest in facing everyone, including Wilder, and even mentioned that a match with Martin Bakole would be a last resort due to their close relationship.

Ngannou will be aiming to become the new PFL Super Fight Champion if he emerges victorious against Ferreira. The event will be broadcast live for UK audiences on DAZN starting at 6pm on October 19.