In a dramatic turn of events, Fabio Wardley found himself in a heated altercation with rival David Adeleye during a press conference leading up to Tyson Fury’s anticipated face-off with Francis Ngannou.
Wardley and Adeleye are slated to face each other on the undercard of Fury’s showdown with former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou, scheduled for October 28 in Saudi Arabia.
The tension began to escalate when both combatants crossed paths on the red carpet during the press event before the match in London. Clearly agitated, Adeleye directed sharp words towards someone on media row, urging them to “shut your mouth.”
Wardley was not one to back down and stepped in, only to be met with a forceful shove from Adeleye.
A fierce scuffle erupted as members of both teams became embroiled in the brawl, resulting in Wardley sustaining a wound beside his left eye. The exact cause of his injury remains unclear.
Footage circulated on X which captured the moment Adeleye was pulled away from the altercation, while Wardley regained his footing after being forcefully brought to the ground.
As chaos unfolded, Tyson Fury was in the midst of an interview on the red carpet. He quickly offered his perspective on the upcoming bout.
Fury stated via The Sun: “It think it’s a good fight, you know? I think Fabio and David for the British title is a very, very good fight. They’re both undefeated, both young, both top-15 ranked in the world. And they’re young hungry lions, like we just saw. [It was all] kicking off royal.”
This match marks Fury’s first appearance since his triumphant defense against Derek Chisora in front of a staggering 60,000-strong crowd at London Stadium last December, where he clinched victory by TKO in the 10th round.
With an illustrious career spanning nearly 14 years, Fury maintains an impeccable record of 34 undefeated bouts.