Tony Bellew
Retired world champion and Usyk's former opponent

Image source, Getty Images

I don't think Tyson Fury can knock Oleksandr Usyk out with one punch, but he is strong enough to hurt him - just because of his sheer weight and size.

He needs to be big, awkward and use his size to his advantage. By the way, they say Fury is 6ft 9in, but I have pictures of me stood next to him. He’s about 6ft 7in, at a push.

But a man of that size who constantly goes on the back foot could a nightmare for someone like Usyk.

I chose to go on the back foot when I fought Usyk in my final fight. He thought I was going to look for the knockout, and I regret that I didn't.

I was ahead on two scorecards going into the eighth round. I should have just gone for it because I could not outbox him for 12 rounds. I was absolutely exhausted. I couldn’t breathe because I was that tired.

Fury is going to have to put his foot down, but I'm just not sure that he can avoid what Usyk will do to him when that happens.

I can see Fury getting caught consistently on the way in and the angles and the footwork of Usyk will bamboozle him at times.

Usyk’s judgement of distance is just unreal. It's like he has a laser on the end of his feet and toes, and when you step within that laser, he's gone; he's away.

I can't put into words how difficult an opponent he is. Just like Floyd Mayweather, where you know what he is going to do – slip, shoulder roll, counter-punch on the inside – you still don’t know how to stop it.

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After WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury fought to a draw in 2018, the pair finally got back into the ring for a rematch in 2020.

Fury wasn't willing to leave it in the judges hands this time around and came out of the traps quickly, putting Wilder on the canvas in rounds three and five as he went toe-to-toe with one of the most feared punchers in the game.

It was all over by round seven as Fury ended Wilder's five-year reign to put heavyweight gold around his waist once again.

The pair would meet in a trilogy in 2021 with Fury repeating the feat courtesy of an 11th-round stoppage.

Kal Sajad
BBC Sport at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh

This is like a different audience! Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline' is playing out. Derek Chisora is standing on his seat singing along. Everyone is on their feet.

Image source, PA Media

Thanks for steering us through the action Charlotte, two pretty exciting title fights already!

I'll be steering you all through the main event, which is almost upon us.

It's THE biggest fight in a generation as WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk and WBC title-holder Tyson Fury put it all on the line in the hope of becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Some strong final words were shared by both fighters but the time for talking is now over, it's going to come down to skill, desire and heart.

Who will prevail?

IBF and Ring magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia to DAZN:"Shout out to my family. Briedis, I'm honoured to share a ring with him. He's a tough dude. He wanted it, I could hear it. I could hear the pain in his punches. Take my hat off to him.”

We knew we were in for a tough fight, we were ready for 12 rounds of war and that's what we got. I knew he would come home strong.

"It rocked me when he headbutted my nose. I broke his nose and he broke mine.

"I want the WBO next, I want the winner of Billam-Smith and Riakporhe.

"I'm not that happy with my performance, I can do better. We'll go back and we'll improve."

Image source, Getty Images

Daniel Dubois’ coach Don Charles: “I’m not writing Usyk off by any means. He’s an exceptional southpaw whose record speaks for itself. But size matters and Tyson is an exceptional boxer, a fighter who is big. A good big’un will beat a good littl’un. I am going with the Gypsy King on points.”

Heavyweight and former Fury opponent Otto Wallin: “Fury is really awkward. He has a good job and can feint a lot. If he brings all of those things, he will beat Usyk. But Usyk is a terrific fighter, so anything can happen."

Former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton: “I’m tipping Fury. I strongly favoured Fury up until both guys' last performances. I still favour him but I'm not as confident as I was. But a Fury as close to his very best - a 90% Fury - should be enough to win the fight. I do love Usyk, though. It’s an incredible fight. But Fury’s size and everything else in his armoury might be a step too far.”

Featherweight Raven Chapman: "Fury will outbox Uysk, keeping him long by using his size and reach advantage. Fury will win on points."

Sam Harris
BBC Sport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Image source, BBC Sport

Wladimir Klitschko is in the building. A very powerful answer when I asked him about what this will mean for the people of Ukraine.

“For this 12 rounds it can hopefully be a pause for some entertainment. Hopefully we can celebrate a heavyweight Ukrainian champion.”

As expected, Jai Opetaia wins by unanimous decision despite the onslaught by Mairis Briedis late on.

Judges see it 117-111, 116-112, 116-112 for Opetaia.

He reclaims the IBF cruiserweight title he vacated in December.

What a fight that was!

Jai Opetaia should win comfortably on the judges' scorecard but Mairis Briedis is one tough man and he certainly hurt the Australian in the latter rounds.

Much like the first fight between these two, Opetaia was hanging on at the end and his face was covered in blood.

On to the scorecards we go...

Image source, Getty Images

Glad to see you're back on board with us Mikey Biscuits.

Kal Sajad
BBC Sport at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh

Oleksandr Usyk is a modern-day great in the ring, no doubt about it. Outside of the ring, you won’t find many stronger-minded individuals.

Five months after dethroning Anthony Joshua in September 2021, he was defending his country against the Russian invasion. Then he went and beat Joshua in the rematch.

Usyk has friends fighting on the front line and is in conversation with them every day. A win tonight will be huge for Ukraine.

Image source, Getty Images

A London 2012 Olympic gold medallist and former undisputed cruiserweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk's achievements have pushed him towards national treasure territory in his native Ukraine.

But despite his boxing prowess, it is Usyk's charitable work through his foundation, providing aid and funds for those affected by the war, and the way in which he has carried himself since the Russian invasion in 2022.

Usyk has met with and befriended soldiers on the front-line, many of who he still keeps in touch with.

He insisted the rematch with Anthony Joshua was free to watch on state TV in Ukraine, a move which hit his pockets the hardest.

Ticket prices for his defence against Daniel Dubois in August 2023 started at £9.40, while British fight fans were charged more than double to watch it on pay-per-view.

"Every day in Ukraine it's alarms, danger, bomb attacks. I cannot think about it," says Oleksandr Chepilko, a Ukrainian boxing reporter.

"Our phones have so many alarms. But when I think of boxing, of seeing Usyk fight, it makes my heart better.

"If Usyk was to go for a presidential election, he would win it. Mothers, daughters, guys, kids, elders, everybody knows him".

What a turnaround for Mairis Briedis! He lands a glancing uppercut on Jai Opetaia and it rocks the champion, who now has a lot of blood flowing from his nose.

He's throwing everything at Opetaia at the start of the 11th round.

Brutal stuff!

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Harris
BBC Sport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The end of round 10 led to the loudest cheers of the night after some huge hits. At last, Kal’s keyboard clicks have been drowned out.

The main event was scheduled to start at 23:05 BST but we still have two rounds left to go in the co-main event between Jai Opetaia and Mairis Briedis.

I think at this point we're probably looking 23:30 at the earliest for Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury to get to the ring.