Michael Zerafa and Issac Hardman had to be separated at weigh-in as the two traded shots with one another.
Zerafa and Hardman also came to blows at a pre-fight media conference last month, showing the rivalry is real. The two are set to square off in a high-stakes middle-weight showdown on Wednesday night at the Melbourne Convention Centre. The winner is set to take on Brazil’s new No.1-ranked contender Esquiva Falcao for the IBF belt, after unified world champion Gennady Golovkin opted to vacate the division and chase a third bout against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
With the stakes high after they were trash-talking one another at the Tuesday media session, the pair stood up to pose for photographs but Queenslander Hardman attacked Zerafa, clipping promoter Sam Labruna with a punch. Shortly after that, traded a flurry of shots before being separated with the staged weigh-in later being canceled.
“He tried to grab me and he learnt pretty quick that’s not what you do and he copped a few right hands and then my team jumped on him,” a seething Zerafa told AAP (via ESPN). “He got thrown out and he’s probably used to that, being in pubs all the time, that’s what he does. I can’t wait to go out there and actually put him to sleep… It just shows he’s intimidated, he’s too emotional. He’s an absolute animal with no respect and no class, it’s pretty disappointing.”
The incident at weigh-ins between Zerafa and Hardman will likely add to the hype of the fight as prior to this, the bout was flying under the radar.
Entering the fight, Michael Zerafa is 29-4 and holds notable wins over Jeff Horn, and Anthony Mudine, while also coming up short against Kell Brook back in 2018.
Issac Hardman, meanwhile, is a former MMA fighter who went 8-0 on the Australian regional scene and in boxing he is 12-0. He last fought back in December and beat Adam Stowe by stoppage. This fight against Zerafa will also be the toughest of his career.
What do you make of this scuffle between Michael Zerafa and Issac Hardman?
Continue Reading Watch: Boxers Michael Zerafa & Isaac Hardman Trade Blows At Weigh-In at MMA News.