Southend cage fighter Stav Economou calls out heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury (From Echo)

Southend cage fighter Stav Economou calls out heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury

9:00am Tuesday 8th January 2013 in Sport By James Colasanti

SOUTHEND’S top mixed martial arts fighter Stav Economou has publicly challenged controversial British boxer Tyson Fury to a fight in a cage.

The 26-year-old, nicknamed Crazy Bear, called-out the 24-year-old Irish heavyweight champion on Twitter, and it is hoped the fight could take place in an arena and be shown live on television.

He issued the challenge after Fury caused uproar by baiting newly-crowned UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez.

Economou tweeted: “What’s the point of Cain Velasquez versus Tyson Fury? I’ve got nothing better to do so I’ll fight him in cage at Ultimate Warrior Challenge on BoxNation. #BeAMan.”

Fury is frustrated with his inability to get a fight with either of the Klitschko brothers, who dominate the heavyweight boxing division, and caused a stir when he challenged Velasquez, who is nicknamed the “Baddest Man on the Plantet”.

Fury, who has a 20-0 fight record, tweeted: “If the Klitschkos are too much of [expletive] to fight me, then I’ll go and fight the MMA heavyweight champ – at least he is game. “He wouldn’t last two rounds! Cain Velasquez is a little midget... bring it on, I’ll fight. Not a man born from his mother can beat me! “Contact Hennessy Sports. I’m the new baddest man on the planet. I’ll smash Cain Velasquez. Let’s get it on!”

Alex Burzotta, who promotes Economou and fellow fighters from Southend-based Team Sure Grip, said a showdown with Fury would capture the public’s imagination.

He said: “Fury called out Cain Velasquez, but that fight is never going to happen because Fury would never be given a UFC contract.

“But he could fight the UK’s number one ranked MMA heavyweight, Stav Enconomou.

“Fury said he would fight MMA or boxing – so I got Stav to call him out. But we are yet to hear back from him.

“I’ve got someone who would finance the fight, so money is not an issue.

“Fury says he wants to fight an MMA fighter – so why not take on the best in the UK?

“He has started all this so we just want to give him the chance to finish it.”

Burzotta says the fight would follow full MMA rules, and there would be prize-purse incentives for Enconomou to gain a standing knock-out, and for Fury to achieve a submission on the floor.

Burzotta admits Fury would need to work on his “takedown defence” to make it a good fight, but says the 6ft 9in tall boxer has the size to develop that skill quickly.

Burzotta says they’d be prepared to stage the fight in Fury’s home city of Manchester – possibly at the MEN Arena – and that it would be screened live on the BoxNation channel, who have a tie up with his Ultimate Warrior Challenge production.

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