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The Iranian Hulk has responded to claims made by Martyn Ford that he's 'photoshopped'. Have a look at what happened when the pair met for the first time last week:
The colossus - real name Sajad Gharibi - is set to go toe-to-toe with Ford in a hotly-anticipated boxing match at the O2 Arena in London on 30 April.
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Ahead of the bout, tensions have been rising between the pair, with Ford, 39, claiming his 30-year-old opponent has 'fooled the world' into thinking he's bigger than he actually is.
It’s previously been reported that Gharibi weighs around 177kg, compared to Ford's 140kg.
After a pretty fiery meeting with Gharibi in Dubai, Ford told the Daily Star: "He was not what I expected. I think he's just fooled the world with Photoshop, if I'm honest.
"Seeing him in real life is not as impressive as seeing him in pictures. So disheartening I think is the word. He was tiny.
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"He didn't look anything like he had made out. That was the first time I'd seen him in real-life.
"He was big, probably bigger than 18stone (114kg), but he wasn't scary big. He just felt like a big kid that didn't really train if I'm being honest. He was supposed to be twice my size."
However, the Hulk has hit back at these allegations, saying Ford and others don't know what they're talking about.
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He said in an interview on Iranian TV (per the Mirror): "Look, those who have been following me on Instagram and know me since the old days.
"They have watched my live videos and the ones I had posted and have seen me when I had just joined Instagram and had a lot more weight on. I had 120,000- 200,000 followers then.
"If you ask my followers about how I lost weight, they would say I had done it little by little. I was categorised in the extra heavy weight category in 2019.
"After the pandemic was started in 2020 and after gyms were closed, I slowly lost weight; but the question is why do they compare photos from 2017 with the recent ones?
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"Some rumour-making press would come and make such comparisons, while I posted some old videos and videos cannot be photoshopped.
"There are also some of my live videos available on YouTube, they are undeniable! I wear XXXXXXXL sized clothes. When I used to weigh more, those clothes looked tight for me."
Gharibi also slammed claims that he has been using steroids in preparation for the fight.
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"I am ready to do a blood test to prove that I have never used steroids," he added.
Over the past few months, both men have been sharing updates of their training with fans, with Gharibi revealing some fairly unconventional techniques.
In a series of videos uploaded to Instagram, he showed off his bizarre methods, which included punching walls, ripping apart melons and jostling with a group of guys.
Unsurprisingly, it didn't exactly strike fear into the heart of Ford, who branded him 'embarrassing'.
Words by Dominic Smithers.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram - martynfordofficial / sajadgharibiofficialTopics: Boxing