FRANCIS NGANNOU is already calling out Deontay Wilder – before even fighting Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou last year put on hold his MMA career to cross over to boxing for a bout with WBC champion Tyson Fury.
And he astonishingly floored Fury only to lose a controversial split-decision in Saudi Arabia.
Now, he will return to the boxing ring on March 8 back in Saudi, this time against Joshua.
But already Ngannou has his eyes set on Wilder, who blew a super-fight with AJ following defeat to Joseph Parker.
Ngannou told Sky Sports: “I’m here for the boxing career and there I have a lot of challenges, a lot of names.
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“For example, the top three guys that I’ve always had are Fury, Joshua and Wilder.
“Wilder better get it together because I’m not done, I want that name on my record.”
Fury, 35, faces Oleksandr Usyk, 36, on February 17 in Saudi in what is the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification.
So Ngannou, 37, was left to weigh up his options after being denied a rematch.
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But Joshua, 34, became available following defeat for Wilder, 38, who saw their £100million fight deal go up in smoke.
The beaten American’s next move remains up in the air.
But Ngannou revealed there were talks for the two to fight in The Professional Fighters League, the MMA promotion he is signed to.
He said: “Two months ago, we were talking about fighting Deontay Wilder in the PFL. The landscape can change quick. Everything is possible.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk