Daniel Cormier isn’t confident in the idea of Francis Ngannou taking on another former champion in boxing.
Ngannou’s boxing debut surprised many when he lost a controversial decision to Tyson Fury in October 2023. His performance had many predicting that he would beat Anthony Joshua, but “The Predator” was knocked out in brutal fashion in Round 2 of their boxing match in March.
Ngannou rebounded when he returned to MMA by claiming the inaugural PFL superfight heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira this past October. He now has his sights set on a return to the ring, with former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder as a potential opponent.
Cormier thinks it’s a bad idea for Ngannou.
“There were people picking Francis over Joshua,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I love Francis, but not to insult him: Anthony Joshua felt so less of a threat that he, who is traditionally one of the most passive boxers in the world for a heavyweight champion, went after Francis. He didn’t feel the threat because of the lack of experience that Francis had in boxing.
“Sure, he’s going to make a boatload of money. He always does. If you ask me, it would seem like he’s up against it again. Maybe he’s just the biggest, baddest man on the planet like we all believe, and he doesn’t care that he’s up against it, and he wants to go and 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.”
Although Wilder is 1-4 in his past five outings, Cormier’s concern for Ngannou stems from the power that “The Bronze Bomber” packs.
“People don’t hurt Francis Ngannou, but when it happened in the (Joshua) fight, he looked lost,” Cormier said. “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. How do you simulate that? How do you prepare?”
