Months after their highly anticipated fight in Saudi Arabia last year, it appears that there is still some tension between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury.
Following a heated exchange between the two fighters at the home of boxing patron Turki Alalshikh, where Fury reportedly confronted Ngannou about comments he had made in the media, Ngannou waited until a press conference on Wednesday to respond.
Referring to his upcoming bout on Friday, Ngannou stated, “Defeating Anthony Joshua will be a significant victory for me, but I see it as just the beginning of my journey. I have big plans for more major wins in the future.”
However, it was Ngannou’s next remark that seemed to provoke Fury, who was seated at the front with his father, John Fury.
Ngannou declared, “I will have another victory over Tyson… I already defeated him once and I am poised to do it again. He has been vocal about it, and rightfully so.”
Directly addressing his opponent, Ngannou taunted, “You will go down in the ring again, and I will defeat you once more. The blood on the ring was a result of your defeat.”
Ngannou warned, “Your only chance is within the confines of a boxing match. If you provoke me outside of the ring, you will regret it. Respect the sport and its rules, as they are the only things keeping you safe from me.”
He continued, “Without those rules, you would not stand a chance against me. I would beat you every single day of the week, without fail.”