BOXING fans were left stunned by what they deemed a “flirty” comment after Francis Ngannou shocked a female reporter during a live TV interview.
Ngannou, 37, will face Anthony Joshua, 34, in Saudi Arabia on Friday night as the two huge heavyweights come together in a blockbuster clash.
TwitterFrancis Ngannou shocked reporter Olivia Buzaglo with his comment in the live TV interview[/caption]
Buzaglo responded to the clip on social mediaGetty
Media events have been taking place in Riyadh since the start of the week as big names from the world of sport flock to the Middle East.
This culminated in Ngannou and Joshua being pictured alongside Tyson Fury and Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday.
But it was a comment Ngannou made following his public workout earlier in the day that got many people talking on social media.
The former UFC heavyweight champion was asked by reporter Olivia Buzaglo whether he will be sticking around to watch Joshua’s workout.
To which he replied: “I have something else to do… which is you.”
Ngannou then appeared to say the word “media” when the microphone had been taken away from him.
But many online thought he was flirting with the reporter.
And Buzaglo, a Sky Sports presenter who previously worked for Chelsea TV, responded to a comment claiming Ngannou was “rizzing a reporter up” as she replied: “Ahahahahaha ffs .”
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Buzaglo made a name for herself on Chelsea TVPA
She has now taken a job with Sky SportsINSTAGRAM @oliviabuzaglo
One fan said: “Can’t tell if he’s being very direct or it’s lazy flirting .”
While another replied: “The man knows what he wants I guess .”
And a third responded: “Did he just say ‘I have something else to do and it’s you?’ ”
Ngannou, 37, shocked the boxing world by pushing Fury all the way on his professional boxing debut in October, dropping The Gypsy King before narrowly losing a split decision.
Now Joshua is tasked with beating the MMA star in a more comprehensive manner as he eyes the winner of Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk on May 18.
AJ has won his last three fights since suffering back-to-back defeats to Usyk.
But Ngannou’s trainer, Dewey Cooper, sent a brutal warning to AJ ahead of the highly-anticipated fight.
Cooper told Sky Sports: “In the Tyson Fury fight we told you guys he was going to at least drop him once.
“We told you guys he could win the fight. We are men we mean our words. This is not poetry this is not fantasy, these are real words from a real person talking to you.
“I know Anthony Joshua is you guy so you’re supposed to support him but just understand what he is up against.
“He’s p against a man who have proven life wrong, from childhood all the way up. From working in the sand mines as a kid in Africa, to travelling on foot from Cameroon all the way to France.
“Being trapped in the Sahara desert, he’s been through so many adversities it’s like a movie, and this chapter is not written – it will be written in Saudi Arabia on March 8.
“And I see Francis Ngannou finishing Anthony Joshua.”
ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT