by Deontay Wilder believes a fight with Anthony Joshua is still “the number one fight in the world” as he prepares to return to action on Saturday.
The heavyweight’s goal is to become world champion again, but Wilder also has big plans for a fight against Britain’s Joshua.
“I would love to do this race in Africa,” he told BBC Sport.
“It’s still the number one fight in the world for everybody. Everywhere I go, people are always talking about me versus Joshua.”
There have been several classic heavyweight meetings in Africa, including Muhammad Ali’s fight with George Foreman in Kinshasa in 1974.
“We both have roots from there,” Wilder explained.
“I think it would be an amazing place to have it, to come home. To come back to the motherland. A continent full of our people. I can just see it being an amazing match, win, lose or draw.
“I think we will get respect and love from all the people there.”
Joshua is very ‘careful’ – Wilder
Wilder seriously considered retirement after suffering consecutive defeats by Tyson Fury, but now he says he plans to fight for another three years.
Joshua and Wilder were previously in talks for an undisputed fight in 2019 and 2020 when both men were still world champions.
Wilder held the WBC title while Joshua was the WBA (Super), WBO and IBF champion.
Joshua recently failed to come to terms with WBC champion Fury, but Wilder is confident a deal could be reached.
He said: “We’re serious and we just need them to be serious. We tried to make the fight and it didn’t happen. It’s a new day and time. Anything is possible.”
Joshua, the two-time world champion, will also soon be on the comeback trail after back-to-back losses to unification champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Wilder believes fights with Usyk, especially the rematch in Augustshowed Joshua has an “endurance” problem.
“I just felt he was very careful,” Wilder said of the Watford-born fighter.
“To me it looks like he has a serious stamina problem. I feel like he didn’t want to trade much because of that.
“It allowed him to back off a little bit and not allow him to land certain punches and combinations. I think if he fixed that you would see a better Joshua, not only in this fight, but he will fight to come.
“I know if he’s able to put it all together, stamina and all that, I think you’re going to see a different Anthony Joshua.”
