John Fury, father of Tyson Fury, has issued an apology following an altercation with a member of Oleksandr Usyk’s team on Monday, just five days before the highly anticipated heavyweight title bout.
The confrontation, which occurred in Saudi Arabia and resulted in John sustaining a bloody forehead, was widely captured on camera.
Footage shared by iFL TV and Usyk’s nutritionist, Mykola Tkachenko documented the incident, which involved John headbutting Stanislav Stepchuk, a member of Usyk’s camp.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are scheduled to fight in Riyadh on May 18, aiming to determine the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years, provided the match doesn’t end in a draw.
Both fighters are unbeaten, with Fury holding the WBC title and Usyk being the unified champion.
John Fury, a former boxer and bare-knuckle fighter, is involved in the coaching teams for both Tyson and his half-brother Tommy Fury.
Known for his outspoken nature during fight weeks, John has often made headlines in recent years.
Following the incident, John expressed his remorse in an interview with Seconds Out: “Sincere apologies to everybody involved, to be honest with you. It’s just the way we are. Emotions and tensions are running high.”
He added, “He was a very disrespectful fella, wasn’t he? Everybody knows, if you come close in a fighting man’s space, you’re gonna ‘cop for something’, aren’t you?