After more than a year of waiting, fans will finally be able to watch heavyweight rivals Tyson Fury, 35, and Oleksandr Usyk, 37, lock horns in a hotly anticipated clash of two boxing titans.
This weekend’s fight will see the first undisputed heavyweight champion crowned in 25 years after Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999.
Ukrainian fighter Usyk has yet to be beaten since switching from cruiserweight, where he was the undisputed champion.
His opponent, British fighter Fury, is the current WBC heavyweight champion of the world after his last victory saw a narrow win against Francis Ngannou.
“The Gypsy King” and the Ukrainian southpaw were originally supposed to fight last April in Wembley. After the two sides failed to agree on the terms of the bout, it was postponed until two days before Christmas.
Then, after Fury decided to take on Ngannou, the British boxer pushed back his fight with Usyk until 17 February.
That showdown was not meant to be either, with Fury suffering a cut above his eye in a sparring session in the run-up to the face-off.
With the scene finally set for a fight on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, tensions are running high.
On Monday, Tyson’s father, John, aimed a headbutt at a member of Usyk’s team, leaving him with a bloodied face.
Rumours then started spreading on social media that Fury might pull out of the fight, with images circulating of the Briton using crutches. TalkSPORT, though, has put it down to a publicity stunt. After all, if Fury were to withdraw, he would have to pay up to £10m in fines.
With the fight still due to go ahead, here is everything we know about Saturday’s blockbuster event.
When is Fury vs Usyk?
Fury and Usyk are set to walk around the ring on 18 May at roughly 11pm UK time, which will be 1am in Saudi Arabia.
It is not known yet when the bell will ring in the first of the 12 rounds, but judging by previous fights, it might be well after midnight until gloves begin to clash in Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena.
The start time will ultimately depend on how long the undercard fights take, with the first bout of the day kicking off at around 2.45pm UK time. The official undercard will start at 5pm.
The pre-fight press conference is due to begin at 7pm UK time on Thursday with the weigh-in taking place at the same time on Friday.
How can I watch live?
Sky Sports will be airing the event live from 4pm in the UK. Sky and Virgin Media customers, though, will have to pay £24.95 for the show, which can be ordered on Sky Q, Sky Glass Sky Stream and Sky+.
TNT Sport customers will also be able to view the showdown for £24.99.
If you are planning on watching the match outside of the UK, you can catch it on DAZN PPV for a similar price.
Who is on the undercard?
In the run-up to the major event, you will be able to watch the undefeated Joe Cordina – with a record 17 wins – defend his IBF super-featherweight title as he takes on Anthony Cacace.
Cordina has won nine of his 17 wins by way of knockout, while Cacace has knocked out seven of his opponents after 21 wins, one loss and zero draws.
Other big fights will include Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis, who are set to meet for a second time for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title. Veteran light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev will also meet the up-and-coming British heavyweight prospect, Moses Itauma.
The full fight card is as follows:
- Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk: For the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles
- Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis; For the vacant IBF cruiserweight title
- Joe Cordina vs Anthony Cacace; For the Cordina’s IBF super featherweight title
- Frank Sanchez vs Agit Kabayel; Heavyweight
- Moses Itauma vs Ilija Mezencev; Heavyweight
- Mark Chamberlain vs Joshua Wahab; Lightweight
- Sergey Kovalev vs Robin Sirawn Safar; Light heavyweight
- Daniel Lapin vs Octavio Pudivtr; Light heavyweight
- David Nyika vs Michael Seitz; Cruiserweight
- Isaac Lowe vs Hasibullah Ahmadi; Featherweight
What have Fury and Usyk said ahead of the fight?
Fury has come into the competition with undeniable confidence, claiming that a victory in Riyadh is his “destiny”
“I’m the best. I’m just defending my ‘best-ness’ against him,” Fury has said. “We have weight divisions for a reason. When the cruiserweights step up to the big boys, usually they get found wanting.
“You can beat the average big ones, but you can’t beat the elite big ones because size really matters.
“I’ve studied this game all my life. This is my time, my destiny, my era and my generation.”
Before arriving in Saudi Arabia, Fury showed restraint and even some respect for his boxing opponent, saying of Usyk: “I respect him as a man, as a fighter.”
“Oleksandr Usyk’s a real bad man and to underestimate Usyk you’d be a mug,” he told Queensberry Promotions.
Fury added, “It’s not personal. It’s strictly business for both fighters. There’s a lot of stuff on the line, but I don’t hate him.
“Anyone would have to respect the man’s achievements. He’s unified heavyweight champion, undisputed cruiserweight champion.”
Usyk, though, has been a little more guarded when it comes to speaking about his rival, telling The Stomping Ground earlier this week that he has tried to ignore what Tyson tells the media.
“I don’t think about it. My focus is on the fight,” he said.
Asked about his prediction for the fight, Usyk said, “Beautiful fight, beautiful win for guy from Ukraine – Oleksandr ‘The Cat’ Usyk. Undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”
More recently, however, the Ukranian boxer said in a documentary ahead of the clash, “Hey, my friend. Don’t be afraid, I will not leave you alone”.
When Fury was shown the message, he was left confused, asking: “What does that even mean? Don’t be afraid I won’t leave you alone?”