Fiery altercation between Aussie boxers Isaac Hardman and Michael Zerafa caught on camera

Isaac Hardman and Michael Zerafa aren’t fighting until next month but a fiery exchange has seen them already come to blows.

Australian boxers Michael Zerafa and Isaac Hardman had a fiery physical altercation at a pre-fight event in Melbourne on Wednesday.

The two fighters will face off in the ring on April 20 at the Melbourne Convention Centre, and there is clearly plenty of ill feeling between the pair.

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Zerafa arrived at the venue for the pre-fight press conference and approached Hardman, attempting to greet him.

But Hardman was having none of it, pushing him away by the throat as their respective teams tried to cool down the situation.

Zerafa reportedly responded by grabbing a glass of water and throwing it on his opponent, but it was battered away and smashed on the ground.

The incident was captured on the venue’s CCTV — which you can watch in the video player above — but it’s unclear if Zerafa did indeed grab a glass.

Pre-fight fisticuffs aside, there is plenty at stake for the two boxers next month in their IBF middleweight title eliminator.

Isaac Hardman and Michael Zerafa came to blows at their pre-fight press conference.

Gennadiy Golovkin holds the IBF middleweight belt, but he’s reportedly set to vacate the title to fight the world’s undisputed super-middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Should Golovkin take that expected path, the winner of the Zerafa-Hardman bout would fight the top-ranked Esquiva Falcao for the IBF world middleweight title.

Hardman doesn’t look kindly on Zerafa for backing out of a fight with Tim Tszyu last year at the last minute because of Covid concerns.

“This is a sport built on integrity and honour and courage and he pulled a heart-string and dogged it,” he said.

“It was a coward’s act … he’s a crybaby and he’s too emotional.

“He was kicked to the kerb then and when I smash him to pieces that’s the end of Michael Zerafa.”

The fight is a huge opportunity for both Zerafa (29-4) and Hardman, Australia’s middleweight champion who has won all of his 12 professional bouts.

There’s plenty of ill feeling between Michael Zerafa and Isaac Hardman. Picture: Ian Currie.

“It’s massive — the IBF world title 13 fights in, it’s unheard of,” Hardman said.

Zerafa said Hardman’s earlier display of aggression showed he was seriously nervous.

“He’s worried, he’s scared — anyone who is going to show that much aggression before the fight has even happened, it shows that they’re generally worried,” Zerafa said.

“I get the whole fight game and revving each other up but he’s got no respect for fighters, for family, for people so it will be good to silence him.

“Seeing him here today just made me want to punch him in the head even more.”

While Zerafa continues to cop criticism from boxing fans for pulling out of the Tszyu fight, he has turned his focus to the upcoming fight with Hardman, which looms as the most crucial bout of his career so far.

“I believe that everything happens for a reason and it’s led me to here,” the 29-year-old said.

“If I fought that fight whatever could have happened and I might not have got this opportunity so I’m blessed, I’m grateful and I’m training super hard.”

Originally published as Fiery altercation between Aussie boxers Isaac Hardman and Michael Zerafa caught on camera