Matchroom Boxing’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has shed light on the disagreement he had with Turki Alalshikh, a Saudi adviser and up-and-coming figure in the boxing promotion scene. The rift arose following a contentious matchup between Tyson Fury and former UFC standout Francis Ngannou last year.
Hearn, a prominent figure in Matchroom Boxing, revealed that the source of the tension with Alalshikh stemmed from disparaging remarks made about the potential showdown between Fury, a former WBC heavyweight champion, and Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight titleholder. However, Hearn noted that their conflict is now in the process of being resolved.
The showdown between Fury and Ngannou occurred last October in Riyadh, with Ngannou succumbing to a split decision loss to Fury after ten intense rounds, despite delivering a significant knockdown against the British pugilist.
In a subsequent event in March, Ngannou faced off against Anthony Joshua, a former two-time heavyweight world champion under Hearn’s promotion, in the Middle East. Ngannou experienced a knockout defeat against Joshua, marking his first loss by KO in his professional combat sports career.
Ngannou is set to make his return to mixed martial arts competition in Riyadh this October, where he will square off against Renan Ferreira, the 2023 PFL heavyweight titleholder, in what will be his third appearance in the region.
