Tyson Fury is slammed by fans for his ‘hypocritical’ moaning about a lack of ‘special treatment’ by UK government ahead of his huge clash with Francis Ngannou – while he hails Saudi leaders and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman
Boxing fans have criticized Tyson Fury on social media after the WBC heavyweight champion praised Saudi Arabian officials for treating him better than the British government ahead of his huge clash against Francis Ngannou.
The fight will take place in Riyadh on Saturday, with the ‘Gypsy King’, who has an estimated net worth of £130 million, stepping back into the ring for the first time since beating Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December 2022.
This will be the first time Fury has fought in Saudi Arabia in his career, and he praised the country’s officials, claiming he has not received any thanks from the British government for helping his fights bring more money into the country. bring economy.
“We’re talking about governments,” Fury said IFL TV. ‘Has the government ever given special treatment to the ‘Gypsy King’? “Absolutely nothing,” the interviewer replies.
Fury added: ‘They’ll even get me through customs at Heathrow Airport quicker than anyone else? Or do I have to wait in line for two hours?’
Tyson Fury has been criticized by boxing fans online after claiming Saudi officials have treated him better than the British government
Fury (L) and Ngannou (R) will face off in a highly anticipated crossover fight on Saturday
Fury had claimed he had ‘never received a single letter of thanks from the British government’, despite claiming his fights had helped bring ‘hundreds of millions’ into the British economy.
“No,” the interviewer answers.
“Here (Saudi Arabia) special treatment for the ‘Big G,’” the 35-year-old said.
‘Every day. All day. Every day. Drinking tea with government leaders. Cups of tea.’
Eight months prior to his fight against Chisora, the Wythenshawe-born fighter had met Dillian Whyte at Wembley.
But Fury added that while he had brought “hundreds of millions” into the London economy through those fights, he had not received any gratitude from British officials.
‘I’ve never had a thank you letter (from the British government). Nothing. I’ve never done it right.
“The amount I raised in London for the last two fights. I probably took hundreds of millions back to London.
‘To Wembley, Tottenham and all the pubs, restaurants and bars. Put that back into the ecosystem. I never got a thank you for it. I have governments that are very happy that I am here.
‘And it’s rare. It’s actually rare because you come here and you’re treated like an absolute legend. And you go home and it’s like you owe us something.
‘You don’t get any special treatment. You get nothing. Turki Alalshikh, His Excellency, I want to shout out to the entire Saudi government and the big boss himself, MBS (Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud).’
And fans have subsequently become furious over his comments, with one person on
Another added: ‘If Saudi Arabia is so good why don’t we sell it and move there?’ while another said: ‘Cheers for fighting Tyson – (Rishi) Sunak.’
It’s been a busy week for both Fury and Ngannou, with the pair going toe-to-toe today at their weigh-in ahead of their crossover fight.
Boxing fans have criticized Fury’s comments, with some asking ‘why does he think he deserves special treatment?’
Ngannou, also known as ‘The Predator’, has a record of 17-3-0 in the UFC and will swap the Octagon for the boxing ring for Saturday’s clash.
While it is still uncertain whether the fight will count against either fighter’s professional records, Fury’s WBC heavyweight title is not at stake.
The ‘Gypsy King’ will also fight Oleksandr Usyk to unify the heavyweight belts after this weekend’s fight.
But some fans were unhappy with Fury’s comments on IFL TV, with another adding: ‘Why does he think he deserves special treatment?’
“I love Tyson but his ego is out of control,” said another. “Why would he want special treatment when he’s the self-proclaimed people’s champion?” another added.