The development of mixed martial artists transitioning to boxing has become very common in recent years. However, Deontay Wilder might be on the verge of becoming the first elite level boxer to compete in MMA in over a decade. This shift is being seen as momentous, considering the fame and high-level performance Wilder has already achieved in the boxing ring.
Recently, crossover fights have been gaining attention, with a notable instance being Francis Ngannou’s near upset of World Boxing Council champ Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Given that there seems to be a shortage of MMA contenders for Ngannou in the Professional Fighters League, Wilder’s name has come up as a potential opponent. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champ is already in talks with Wilder’s camp for a potential match-up. Furthermore, PFL co-owner Donn Davis has proposed a mixed-rules fight between Ngannou and Wilder.
The situation became more exciting when Wilder expressed his willingness to step inside the MMA cage, and not just against Ngannou. Veteran Nate Diaz was also mentioned, to which Wilder responded positively, saying, “I’ll be down to get in there with Nate for sure… there’s only one way to find out.” Diaz, a former UFC fighter, applauded Wilder’s agreement to fight in MMA. He tweeted, “Let’s get these contracts written up asap.. Real fight respect to a real fighter down to fight for real. All love to boxing But this is different REAL LFG 1993”
Wilder has not competed in a fight since his knockout victory over Robert Helenius from Finland. With this victory, he recovered from consecutive stoppage losses against Fury. On the other hand, Diaz transitioned from UFC to boxing after winning over Tony Ferguson by submission. He then competed against Jake Paul in a boxing match but unfortunately lost. If Wilder does step into the MMA arena, he would be the first former champ of a major boxing organization to do so since James Toney competed against Randy Couture at UFC 118 in August 2010, where he was quickly defeated.