As Joe Fournier laid on the canvas, the referee standing overhead whereas administering a 10-count, he knew one thing had gone horribly flawed.
Seconds earlier, the 40-year-old entrepreneur turned boxer noticed KSI swing and miss with a punch that was adopted by an elbow. The elbow linked flush, Fournier went down, and the combat was stopped. KSI celebrated a knockout win regardless of the unlawful shot that had ended the competition.
“When you see the replay, when the hook goes previous, I’m his glove,” Fournier informed MMA Preventing on Monday. “I knew the glove didn’t hit me, as a result of I used to be it. My eyes had been open. Then the elbow got here after that, so clearly I knew it wasn’t gloves. I knew it was an elbow.
“I assumed really [the referee] was going to disqualify him, after which he began counting. Like what? That’s after I tried to rise up, after which I used to be only a bit hazy. I used to be up by 9, however my toes weren’t all there, and the ref stopped it, and I’m like what the f***? I went again to the altering room and watched the replay, and it was clear as day.”
The controversial ending capped off the Misfits Boxing 7 card in London. The headliner was speculated to function KSI’s hardest check, and a potential showdown loomed towards Tommy Fury. As an alternative, his knockout win was instantly known as into query when replays confirmed that it was an elbow fairly than a punch that ended Fournier’s night time.
Afterward, KSI addressed his disappointment in an announcement, acknowledging the win was “tarnished” by what he known as “unintentional contact” to Fournier together with his forearm.
Fournier has already appealed the consequence with the Skilled Boxers Affiliation; a choice is predicted no later than Might 19. However he scoffs at KSI’s phrases relating to the knockout.
“So far as I see it, he positively took an underhook underneath my proper arm and threw that elbow,” Fournier stated. “That’s a Muay Thai transfer, and he trains in that gymnasium with all of the MMA guys. You don’t wish to accuse individuals of issues, however I’m very shocked that I see it precisely what it was, which was a Muay Thai elbow, pre-rehearsed. He’s saying it was an accident. I don’t know. It doesn’t appear to be one to me.
“It’s all bulls***. He knew he didn’t hit me, he knew I wasn’t damage. He knew it was a clear elbow. He is aware of what he did. Clearly, there’s a PR machine behind him that tells him what to say.”
Whereas replays clearly confirmed the unlawful shot that ended the combat, Fournier nonetheless can’t perceive how the referee didn’t see it in actual time given his place.
“When you take a look at it from the bottom, you see he takes an underhook together with his left arm underneath my proper arm, and pushes me into the elbow,” Fournier stated. “When you really watch it from the again model, with my again to the digital camera.
“What’s loopy is the referee is true there. He’s proper there. He’s lower than a foot away at an ideal angle trying on the elbow. I don’t know what he was .”
As a lot as KSI has stated the elbow strike was unintended, Fournier isn’t shopping for it. That’s a part of the explanation why he hopes the PBA will overturn the consequence to a disqualification fairly than a no-contest.
“Personally for me, I see it as a disqualification as a result of he clearly elbowed me, and that’s what ended the combat,” Fournier stated. “If that hadn’t occurred, I consider I used to be getting in my rhythm. I’ve by no means landed an elbow like that accidentally, by no means even in sparring. What number of fights do you see finish with an elbow like that? None. So, clearly it’s intentional.”
Following the top of the combat, Fournier says his instant issues had been successfully brushed apart so KSI might put together for a faceoff with Fury, who was sitting ringside for the occasion. Fury is coming off a win over Jake Paul, one among KSI’s largest rivals over the previous couple of years.
Fournier needs the faceoff didn’t come at his expense.
“That’s type of what pissed me off lots,” he stated. “It’s type of like, I’m not a child, you possibly can’t disrespect me like that. I’m not some contemporary face, 16-year-old in my first professional bout. I’ve been across the scene, and it was apparent what occurred, in order that they’re simply attempting to brush it underneath the carpet, however I’m not going to permit that to occur.
“They’re attempting to get previous it like, ‘Let’s hope everybody forgets about it so we will combat Tommy Fury and receives a commission once more.’ That’s all they’re fascinated by. However on the finish of the day, whenever you’re a high-profile fighter, lots of people I’ve seen, even his personal followers are saying it’s bulls***. How are you going to not discuss it and how are you going to have fun that win? Actual champions they don’t wish to win like that. They don’t wish to win by dishonest. I haven’t even obtained an apology. It’s not a win on the finish of the day. It’s a foul.”
Ideally, Fournier desires the loss faraway from his file (it was billed as an exhibition bout), and he would gladly welcome a rematch towards KSI, although he’s uncertain that may occur.
Fournier stated he’s already sees the writing on the wall that they’ll possible by no means meet once more even when a rematch would reply the questions remaining from their first encounter.
“How are you going to say you’re outclassing me and the consequence would have been the identical – it’s whole garbage,” Fournier stated. “I already stated he hit me clear flush within the first spherical with an enormous proper hook, I walked straight by way of it and smiled and stated let’s go. That’s the facility you’re speaking about? I feel they knew they weren’t going to get me out of there and so they resorted to soiled techniques. It’s no shock. He trains in a Muay Thai background gymnasium. He doesn’t practice in a boxing gymnasium.
“He’s like my win’s tarnished now. No, you’re simply attempting to brush one thing underneath the carpet. Be a person [say], ‘I elbowed him, we have to run it again.’ I already stated all proper, cool, if it was an accident, run it again. Why not run it again? I might welcome a rematch. However this elbow must be dropped at justice. Elbow-gate, [but] they’re going to wish to transfer onto the following combat to Tommy Fury, and so they’re not going to need no rematch as a result of they’re type of pretending none of this occurred. In the event that they don’t wish to do a rematch, possibly I’ll combat Jake [Paul].”
