Iranian Hulk said he had coronavirus during his face-off with Martyn Ford and wants to fight a new opponent instead of the Brit.
Ford was set to meet Iranian Hulk - real name Sajad Gharibi - at The O2 arena on April 30 after their fight had already been rescheduled once from its original date. The Boxstar event will still go ahead, but the strongman rivals will not be fighting on the card.
Gharibi has refused to take the blame for the cancellation and put it down to contractual issues. Ford, also known as the World's Scariest Man, vented his frustration after " wasting six months of his life ".
In an interview posted to his YouTube channel, Gharibi said: "I had coronavirus during our Dubai meeting. On face-to-face day I announced this to the organisation [Boxstar], I never used this as an excuse, I did not run away from anything.
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"I was present with a lung infection and a fever of 40 degrees, it is really embarrassing that the fight is cancelled by a coward. It does not matter to me, I am still in this race. I also told the organisation to put a fighter in front of me, someone who has a fighting spirit.
Before the cancellation of the fight, Gharibi posted a concerning message in which he " wished for death ". It came after he cried during an interview with Iranian TV after being disowned by his family because of his actions.
Both of the strongmen have conflicting views as to why the fight was cancelled, with Ford blaming the Iranian. Gharibi labelled his rival a "pretty boy" who will never fight and said he is considering taking legal action against Ford.
"I heard Ford doesn't want to fight, it is not me [and] not any other fighters. I never cancelled any fight between us but he doesn't want see me again! It is against the contract and my legal team have started looking at it," he said.
"Actually 'pretty boy' can't ever fight, he just hides and runs away, he must have a permission from a women first. I can't believe an opponent like him, it's shameful. This victory isn't an honour for me, it's a century joke not a century fight."
Boxstar's event on April 30 will still go ahead with ex-footballers such as Patrice Evra and Jamie O'Hara featuring on the celebrity-stacked card.
