Heavyweight prospect Alen Babic looks for his sixth straight swift knockout win in as many professional fights when he meets Tom Little on the undercard of Conor Benn vs. Sebastian Formella on Saturday night, but now there appears to be a sudden degree of animosity between the two.
Babic had been linked with a fight against Little since before even his last outing, halting Niall Kennedy in what was his first-ever third-round as a professional. Throughout the entire matchmaking process, Croatia's Babic and England's Little were very respectful of one another.
However, at the final fight week press conference with days to go until their bout, it appears some of Little's words have rubbed Babic the wrong way.
What flipped the script, it seems, were comments made by Little regarding a former opponent of his, another Croatian heavyweight and somebody Babic does not like very much, Filip Hrgovic.
Hrgovic flattened Little in four rounds in Riga back on Jan. 27, 2018. And by praising the unbeaten Hrgovic while claiming he would knock Babic out on Saturday, it appears "Not So" Little has incurred the wrath of Babic's in-ring alter-ego, "The Savage".
Little may need to change nicknames, however, as he began the press conference discussing with mediator Eddie Hearn his remarkable weight loss and refocused mentality going into this bout.
"I had a massive epiphany," said the 33-year-old. "It runs a lot deeper than just myself. I don’t expect anybody to believe my words, because I've said a lot of cheap ones. But they were masking agents. I’m just gonna use my actions now, so watch me on Saturday do what I’m capable of doing.
"I rate Babic highly and you can’t give him nothing but respect. Everyone he’s fought, he's blown away. If he can get the job done, he’s doing it against the best me available. We’re gonna go out there and have a war. We’ll deliver everything we promised, blood snot and guts."
Rather than return the respectful words, Babic immediately called Little out for his Hrgovic comments in response.
"Listen, The Savage is mad," said Babic. "I've been his friend for three months. And then he says something like 'I'm going to finish Babic and Hrgovic is better.' Everybody keeps doubting me, every step of the way, and I've had it. I've had enough. I'm an emotional guy. I keep knocking everybody out, and everyone keeps questioning me. What do I have to do? I'll have to knock Tom Little out in one round. He acts like he is going to kill me in one round. Why do you talk like that? I’ve won five fights in 10 rounds. You haven’t won a fight in three years. You should show me some respect."
Babic wasn't finished with his tirade.
"Alen loves Tom Little. The Savage f***ing hates Tom Little. You didn’t give me one percent of the respect I showed you," he continued. "I’ve said nothing but nice things about him, and he takes Hrgovic's side and says he prefers Hrgovic. I'm going to do a job on you and I'm going to do it fast. I feel like there is a lot of disrespect. I am only here to entertain. And there’s still questions every single step of the way. Hrgovic, Hrgovic, I don’t care about f***ing Hrgovic. He fights bodybags. I fight whoever the fans want me to. They wanted to see me fight Tom Little, so I messaged him and we talked for three months.
"Now, on fight week, he treats me like I'm nothing."
Little, taken aback somewhat by Babic's tone, responded: "I like you, I like both of you [Babic and his 'Savage' persona]. I've never disrespected you. It's a fight, old boy, what do you expect me to say? I ain't gonna say I'm gonna come and tickle your chin, am I? If I don't believe I'm gonna beat you, it's pointless me even sitting here. I’m not gonna run. I’m a man of my word. I’m gonna meet him in a middle and I will get hit by him, but I will get the job done. I want that knockout.
"I’m a realist. Both of us are going in there to hurt one another. One of us is gonna catch the other, and I wouldn’t be surprised if both of us had to climb off the canvas at some point. I don’t hold hate in my heart for anybody, but there’s also not a cowardly bone in my body. I don’t fear any man. I’m there to fight, to bleed and to win. That’s it."
To this, Babic calmly replied: "You wanted The Savage, you will get him, brother. Be careful what you wish for."
The exchange was the highlight of fight week so far and was even more engrossing than Babic's verbal sparring with Shawndell Winters ahead of their bout at Matchroom Fight Camp, won by "The Savage" in short order.
Little remained jovial as he joined stream hosts Chris Lloyd and former middleweight world champion Darren Barker to discuss what just happened
"That wasn't nice, was it," quipped Little.
Continuing to talk up his chances of ending Babic's unbeaten run, he added: "If I wanted a pub fight, I’d go down the East End for a rough old pub do.
"Let’s be honest, I’d be a bit stupid to go in there and headbutt his hands. We’re gonna box. I don’t even think he’s seen a feint, so I think he’d fall for a couple of mine."
Babic vs. Little, on the undercard of Benn vs. Formella, airs live Nov. 21 on Sky Sports in the U.K. and on DAZN in all nine DAZN markets including the U.S.