"Don't hate the player!" - Tyson Fury slams critic who called for him to be stripped

Tyson Fury doesn't care that you think he should be stripped of his heavyweight title.

'The Gypsy King' has been out of the ring for over six months, last facing Derek Chisora last December. There, Fury scored his third and likely final lopsided win over 'Del Boy', this time by 10th-round stoppage. Following the victory, he had a face-off with Oleksandr Usyk.

That was supposed to be a tease for an April clash in Wembley Stadium. However, due to financial demands, the fight fell apart. Later, Saudi Arabia's Skill Challenge Promotions decided to try and make the contest in their country, slated for December.

While they were able to get Oleksandr Usyk on board, they couldn't manage Tyson Fury. Earlier this month, Frank Warren revealed that the Brit wouldn't be able to make the December event, but that something game-changing was in the works.

That game-changing fight has turned out to be Francis Ngannou. According to recent reports, the former UFC star will face Fury, in a possible exhibition. Naturally, there were calls for him to be stripped of his WBC title, including from Usyk's manager.

This morning, the heavyweight took to social media with a clear video message:

“Hey guys, a little bit of clarification. I hear there’s a lot of unknown, irrelevant people talking about how I should be stripped of my belt. Ha! Don’t hate the player, hate the game. I don’t have a mandatory. When I do have a mandatory, it will be dealt with, just like every other mandatory I’ve ever had. Until then, keep on hating motherf****** and enjoy the little, little, tiny bit of money you guys are making.”

‼️ Tyson Fury fires back at Oleksandr Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk for saying he should be stripped of his WBC heavyweight world title if he fights Francis Ngannou next…

[🎥 @Tyson_Fury] https://t.co/7wnv9oGs1X

Is Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou official?

Tyson Fury's next fight hasn't been announced but is expected to be shortly.

Late last week, Ariel Helwani reported that 'The Gypsy King' was expected to face Francis Ngannou next. That's next exactly a shock considering Eddie Hearn recently revealed that he heard the contest was in the works.

Tyson Fury x Francis Ngannou is expected to be announced very soon, per sources.

Furthermore, 'The Predator' has been looking for a high-profile boxing match for a while. Last year, Ngannou took to the ring for a brief interview and face-off with Fury, after he knocked out Dillian Whyte.

A key point of contention among fans is that the fight might be an exhibition. While Hearn stated that the bout might not be a professional one, it's unknown as of now.