Tyson Fury's dad apologises after headbutting member of Usyk entourage

The father of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury John Fury has apologised for headbutting a member of Oleksandr Usyk’s entourage on Monday as tempers boiled over in build-up to Saturday’s undisputed title clash in Riyadh.

Security had to separate the rival camps at the hotel where Monday’s media activity was being held.

Footage posted on social media of the incident shows John Fury touching heads with one of Usyk’s group and, having been pulled away, then appearing to headbutt another of the Ukrainian’s team.

It was John Fury who appeared to come off worse though, with blood pouring down the 59-year-old's head despite attempts to stem the flow. He had to be restrained repeatedly as the rival clans chanted their fighters' names.

"Sincere apologies to everybody involved. It's just the way we are," he told Seconds Out. "Emotions and tensions are running high. He was a very disrespectful fella," said John. "If you come close in a fighting man's space, you're gonna cop for something.

"What matters to me is respect for my son and he wasn't showing any of it. He mentioned my son and that was it, so he had to have it. It doesn't bother me [bleeding], it's what we live for, we're fighting people. That's a regular occurrence to me."

John Fury headbutts the smallest guy in the room after doing nothing against bigger men.

His behaviour gets more embarrassing and erratic at every event, it's absolutely pathetic.pic.twitter.com/84aiuMk6QH

Tyson Fury did not see the incident as he was in a separate part of the hotel conducting media interviews. When he saw his dad following the fracas, he asked: “How did you cut yourself like that?”

John Fury claimed to Sky Sports he reacted after hearing Usyk's camp “disrespecting my son. The best