Martin comes out swinging in press conference with Laila Ali.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Doug Barber

GULFPORT, Miss. _ Christy Martin didn't wait until Aug. 23 to take a swing at Laila Ali.

Martin took a swing at Ali during her remarks at a press conference Tuesday at the Gulfport Grand Casino that was promoting their Aug. 23 bout at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.

Ali grabbed a fistful of Martin's blonde hair in defense, then the various promoters on the stage separated the two female fighters before the podium came crashing to the floor, taking with it a couple of tape recorders and three or four remote microphones.

It was not clear whether the 5-foot-4 Martin was trying to intimidate the 5-10 Ali, for their upcoming IBA super middleweight title bout, or a staged ploy to hype the fight. Ali, for her part, looked surprised while Martin left the press conference without further comment.

Martin did, however, chant a countdown on her way out the door. "One, two, three, four, five, seven, 10," she said.

"I try not to get into the female catfighting side of it and I try to keep it strictly boxing," Ali said. "I think I'm on the top because I do have a strong name behind me and the skills. When people feel like they have to come out of their weight class to prove a point, that's sad to me.