PAUL BAMBA has claimed his fight with Tommy Fury is OFF following a weight disagreement.
Bamba was left fuming after he scaled within the 175lb light-heavyweight limit, while Fury came in at 181.4lb.
The American, 33, was left fuming, having conceded half a STONE, and wanted to be paid compensation.
But despite two days of negotiations, no settlement was reached despite the best efforts of Fury’s dad John.
Speaking to SunSport in Dubai, Bamba said: “It came down the the final minutes, John Fury reached out to me personally.
“He tried to make it work, he made it known we both needed to try and make it work or both parties were out of being paid.
“I told him to call me back with an offer, hung up the phone, he called me back about an hour later, gave me an offer which wasn’t necessarily agreeable, I was reaching out to my team and while I was I actually bumped into John Fury.
“We started talking, man to man in person, and John is very polite, he’s trying to make it work.
“He understands his side by he sees why I’m being the way I’m being and sticking to my guns.
“He was trying to make it work and it actually looked like it was about to work until we were interrupted – can’t comment on who we were interrupted by – but my chest was pushed physically.
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“I want to be respected as a man and that hasn’t happened so I said, ‘You know what? I’m done’.
“John was literally handling it and the fight probabaly would have gone on because what John was offering me was pretty good, we were finally coming to terms.
“If he had increased it by a little bit more I would have accepted right away. But ultimately there will be no fight tonight.”
Fury’s team actually negotiated a higher weight in the fight agreement, believed to be 178 ½lb, meaning he was still 3lb overweight.
But this was not made aware to Bamba, who agreed to a light-heavyweight bout and not at cruiserweight.
And despite attempts to financially compensate, no deal was struck and Fury may also find himself off the card.
Bamba said: “They said, from my understanding unless they’re lying, I have no idea, both of us are pulled off the card.
“Last I heard Tommy might have a last-minute replacement, someone who lives here in Dubai, but they aren’t really interested.
“We tried to do everything we could do and it didn’t work out.”
Bamba has insisted he is still open to fighting Fury, even at a higher weight and in the UK.
He said: “Like I told John, I would love to fight his son and give him the chance to get his 9-0, or my 6-2.
“But at the end of the day, weights need to be right. I have no problem meeting them at 81kgs in the UK, if that’s what they want.
“I’m down to shake, I will knock John’s son out, with all due respect I will knock him out.”
I think there’s a good storyline here, there’s some real beef and we could sell some tickets.”
