Former UFC Heavyweight Champion turned professional boxer Francis Ngannou recounts a tense encounter with rival Tyson Fury that unfolded at the residence of powerful Saudi Arabian official Turki Al-Sheikh on Tuesday, March 5.
"When we met, he said I called him a coward and I said, 'Wow, where did you hear that from? I never made that statement about anybody. I never called anybody a coward, unless you're really a coward,'" the 37-year-old said during a media conference on Wednesday, March 5.
A gathering took place at Al-Sheikh's residence last Tuesday ahead of Ngannou's upcoming bout against former unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Friday, March 8.
The attendees included boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, Ngannou, Joshua, co-headliners Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker, and Fury.
Ngannou and Fury previously faced off in a boxing match in Riyadh on October 28.
Despite the Cameroonian's strong performance, including knocking down Fury in the third round, the judges controversially awarded the British fighter the victory in a split decision (95-94, 96-93, 94-95).
Ngannou insists that he was calm
Despite the heated confrontation with his former British foe, Ngannou maintained his composure throughout the evening while continuing to fire shots against the WBC heavyweight title holder.
"I was very calm. I told him, 'The only moment that you have a chance is in the boxing ring.' The only chance he has is when the boxing rules apply," Ngannou added.
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