UFC legend is worried about Francis Ngannou, claiming the PFL star ‘looked lost’ in savage Anthony Joshua knockout loss amid talks to fight Deontay Wilder

Francis Ngannou wants to return to boxing to face America’s Deontay Wilder

Daniel Cormier is worried about that fight after Ngannou lost to Anthony Joshua

UFC legend Daniel Cormier has admitted he is concerned about the prospect of Francis Ngannou returning to boxing to face Deontay Wilder.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou, 38, ventured into boxing in October 2023 to face Tyson Fury and pushed the Brit all the way before losing a split decision.

He had his second professional boxing match four months later, but was brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua inside two rounds.

Ngannou has since gone back to MMA and recorded a first-round stoppage win over Brazil’s Renan Ferreira in the PFL in October, but Ngannou revealed last week that he intends to get back into the squared circle before he retires, and has set his sights on a mega-money fight with Wilder.

But Cormier is far from convinced that it would be a smart move for Ngannou to take on another knockout artist after how he fared against Joshua.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier said: ‘Sure, he’s going to make a boatload of money, he always does, but at what point do you go [I don’t know] because if you ask me it would seem like he’s up against it again.

Francis Ngannou was brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua last year

Ngannou has revealed he wants to return to boxing to take on Deontay Wilder

Daniel Cormier doesn’t think that would be a good idea after Ngannou’s loss to Joshua

‘Maybe he’s just the biggest, baddest man on the planet that we all believe and he doesn’t care that he’s up against it and he wants to prove everyone wrong like he did the first time when he fought Tyson Fury and he fought him to a very close fight. But we cannot ignore the visuals of what we saw the last time, especially when he came back to MMA and fought so well.

‘People don’t hurt Francis Ngannou, but when it happened in the [Anthony Joshua] fight, he looked lost. That’s what’s concerning to me. Because I know there will be moments in that fight with Deontay Wilder the way that he punches where he’s going to need to find safety.’

Cormier has his reservations, but Ngannou appears adamant that he is not finished with boxing.

He told Sportsbook Review: ‘[I’m passionate about fighting Deontay Wilder] because there’s an 80 percent chance that somebody will go to sleep. It will be one or the other.

‘Maybe not in his past two fights, but Deontay Wilder is known as a guy that knocks everybody out or tries to knock you out.

‘I’m going against that guy, and I myself can knock someone out. Deep inside me there is a little bit of ego, like I know I hit harder.

‘I’m saying from my experience that we will have that ego that we both want to prove ‘no, it’s me [who hits harder].

‘Who is the biggest hitter between you and Deontay? Those sorts of conversations are popping around a little bit and even though you think you don’t care about it, it sticks somewhere in your mind.’

Wilder is a huge knockout puncher, but was stopped by Zhilei Zhang in his last fight in June

Wilder held the WBC heavyweight title between 2015 and 2020, and has a professional record consisting of 43 wins, four defeats and one draw.

He is widely regarded as one of the biggest punchers boxing has ever seen, with 42 of his victories coming inside the distance.

However, he has lost four of his last five bouts, and has not been seen in the ring since he was stopped by Zhilei Zhang last June.