Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk were separated after a long, intense stare-down turned into a heated verbal exchange at their final press conference.
The two fighters locked eyes for over 10 minutes, trading insults in a fiery atmosphere ahead of their highly anticipated rematch this weekend.
Fury, 36, refused to back down, and Usyk, 37, stood firm in a bizarre conclusion to what had been a relatively subdued final media appearance between the two.
The press conference began with Usyk arriving with a live band and a large group of singers, and both fighters provided brief answers to questions.
Fury, however, took a more serious tone, stating: “I’m going to dish out a lot of pain, put this f***er in the hurt locker for sure. “I’ve got nothing to say apart from there will be a whole lot hurt and pain. The talking is done.
“The first fight I talked, I joked. All my career. This time I’m serious and I’m going to do some damage.”
The tension escalated as the pair faced off at the end of the event, with the room filled with cameras and onlookers jostling for a good vantage point. The prolonged stare-down gave everyone ample opportunity to capture the moment.
The situation escalated as Fury began to hurl insults at the WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion. Usyk retaliated, which seemed to infuriate Fury even more, causing him to break into a sweat as his team attempted to pull him away from the scene.
When Usyk finally left the stage, he ascended the nearby steps, pumping his fist in acknowledgment of the crowd while some members of his team chanted his name.
