The fight between Tony Yoka and the Belgian Joël Tambwe Djeko scheduled for this Friday evening in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) has already started.
The two men came to blows at the end of the weigh-in, this Thursday evening on the banks of the Loire.
When we asked the Olympic champion what happened, he replied: “Nothing, nothing happened.
But his nervousness was more than noticeable.
Because something happened.
After descending from the scales, the two men, as is the custom, faced each other, eye to eye and nose to nose.
It's always like that.
It was just then that the Belgian slapped the French.
Furious and surprised, Yoka tried to retaliate and it was necessary that the guards present in the room separate the two heavyweights.
“It goes with the opponent, with his temperament, replied Yoka at the microphone of Canal +.
We had seen him do that a few weigh-ins.
It does build up the pressure a bit, that's for sure.
"
IT'S GOING TO BE SHOW 🔥
See you this Friday evening at 10:15 p.m. live on @canalplus 🥊👊💥
▶ ️ https://t.co/L4zkzmVGk7#YokaDjeko #LaConquete pic.twitter.com/v17rikxFn3
- CANAL + Boxe (@CanalplusBoxe) March 4, 2021
Throughout the press conference that followed, Tony Yoka was hardly talkative, no doubt ruminating on how he was going to be able to make the boxer Molenbeek pay for the affront, weighed 104 kilos for 111 kilos to the French.
The Belgian also sought to minimize the incident: “It was to drown the delay we had before this weigh-in.
It came instinctively, in the emotion of the moment.
He brought his head up and we forgot that we were on a set.
But in fact, nothing happened.
“The Olympic champion, black eyes for the next hour, in any case did not appreciate.
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“It's very annoying, admits Yoka on Canal.
Very, very upsetting.
Now we have to go over it, we must not get out of the fight, and tell ourselves that he will pay all that on Friday.
The thing is, I want to box him now, but we'll fix that in the ring.
“That promises to the H Arena.
