Fury Appears Nervous At Joshua Staredown

Tyson Fury appeared less composed than Anthony Joshua during their first official staredown ahead of the Dec. 11 heavyweight clash in Cardiff, according to body language analysis of the Netflix launch presser.

Body language expert Inbaal Honigman told Hard Rock Bet that Fury exhibited several nervous tells during the London event, including flexing fingers and darting eyes. Joshua, by contrast, maintained a calm expression throughout. "Fury's fingers flex a bit, which is a sign of nerves — unlike Joshua who is in complete control over his physical body, which is a sign that he's mentally on top, too," Honigman said, per MMA Mania.

What Fury And Joshua Said About Their Sparring Session

The two heavyweights revisited their 2010 sparring session, with Fury claiming he left the gym with a Rolex watch after dropping Joshua. "There was a thing about a Rolex watch, as well," Fury said at the presser, as reported by Bad Left Hook. "If anyone could drop him, he'd give them a Rolex watch, and guess what? I left that building with a fuckin' Rolex on." Joshua fired back, noting that Fury also left with a black eye and adding that sparring stories should stay in the gym.

Fury promised an all-out brawl when the two meet at Principality Stadium. "I'm gonna come out and blast him out of there," he said. "It will be gunfight at the OK Corral." Joshua responded with quiet confidence, saying he's prepared to absorb punishment until his hand is raised. The fight will stream live on Netflix and contest the vacant WBA Super Heavyweight title.

UFC CEO Dana White did not attend the presser, though Turki Alalshikh thanked him by name during the event. The mention drew loud boos from the London crowd, MMA Fighting reported. Fury enters on a two-fight win streak after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, while Joshua has also won two straight since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois.

The 38-year-old Fury and 36-year-old Joshua will finally settle their decade-long rivalry in front of 80,000 fans in Wales.

Original reporting:

• badlefthook.com — Everything Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua said at first press conference | Bad Left Hook
• mmafighting.com — Dana White’s name booed mercilessly by crowd at Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua press conference | MMA Fighting
• mmafighting.com — Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua press conference video | MMA Fighting
• mmamania.com — Two Big Men Stare Each Other Down In Front Of Tiny Belt! | MMA Mania