Several months after their blockbuster bout in Saudi Arabia last October, it seems that some bad blood remains between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury.

A day removed from a confrontation between both prizefighters at the residence of boxing’s Saudi benefactor Turki Alalshikh during which, according to Andy Lee at least, Fury pressed Ngannou on some statements had made regarding their fight in the media, Ngannou saved his riposte for Wednesday evening’s press conference.

“[Anthony Joshua] will be the best [victory] so far, but as I said I’m just getting started,” Ngannou said of Friday’s bout. “I’m really looking for the victory Friday night but I don’t think that will be making any statement of my career because the road is still long and I’m really intending to gain a lot of major victories like this.”

But it was the next statement that raised the ire of the ‘Gypsy King’, who was sitting in the front row alongside his father, John Fury.

“One over Tyson… one more over Tyson,” Ngannou said, “because I had the first one over him and I’m intending to have the second one. He’s been b*ching about it, which is true.”

“You’re going to sleep in the [ring] again and I’m going to wipe the ring with your ass again,” Ngannou said, addressing his rival. “You wiped the ring with your ass, that was the blood in the ring sticking to your pants.

“I tell you, your only chance is in the ring with the boxing rules,” Ngannou said. “When you step off of that ring, you better stay five meters away before you talk your s*** because if I lose it, you’re going to have a really bad time, my friend.

“Respect the fact that boxing is protecting us and the rules of boxing are protecting us because without that, you are nothing in front of me. I would beat you every day, twice on Sunday.”