Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk engaged in a tense, more than ten-minute staredown at the final press conference ahead of their blockbuster rematch.
After an extravagant event complete with live music and attended by some of the biggest names in prizefighting, the heavyweight rivals faced off on the stage on Thursday.
Despite the efforts of World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman, the pair remained head-to-head for over ten minutes, with both men looking to gain a psychological edge of their opponent.
When the dust settled fans took to social media to express their excitement for what promises to be another momentous occasion in Riyadh.
One wrote: ‘Fury & Usyk just doing a stare off for 10 straight mins, neither wanting to lose the eye contact first and show weakness.
‘I’m so hyped for this fight.’
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk faced off for the final time ahead of their rematch on Saturday
The heavyweight rivals remained head-to-head for over ten minutes before being seperated
In his pre-fight remarks Fury promised to be completely focused on his work as he looks to avenge his sole professional defeat
Another added: ‘Usyk is a cold man Fury is right on it this is gonna be something special.
A third agreed: ‘Tell me why I feel more worried for Usyk now than I did in May.
‘Fury just seems more dialed in. Might be just mind games I don’t know. Can’t wait for Saturday’
With their highly-anticipated showdown now just two days away, both fighters faced questions in front of the assembled media in attendance.
Fury made his way to the stage first, dressed in an extravagant black and white suit topped by a black fedora.
Not to be outdone, Usyk then joined him on the stage accompanied by a live musical performance complete with backing choir and brass section.
Asked his thoughts on the rematch, Fury kept his response uncharacteristically brief: ‘I’m gonna dish out a whole lot of pain.
‘I’m gonna put this f***** in the hurt locker for sure.
Fans took to social media to express their excitement for the highly-anticipated showdown
He continued: ‘I got nothing to say, apart from there’s going to be a whole lot of hurt and pain in this fight you watch.
‘That’s all I got to say. Talking’s been done. You know, the first fight I talked, I joked, through all my career.
‘This time I’m serious. I’m going to do some f***ing damage here on Saturday night. Watch me go to work on this f*****.’
Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn insisted Fury has what it takes to emerge victorious in the rematch.
‘The one thing I’ll say, people ask me all the time who’s going to win this fight,’ Hearn said.
‘Oleksandr Usyk is an incredible fighter, and it will take something extraordinary to beat him on Saturday night, but I know we’ve had our differences, Tyson Fury is capable of extraordinary things.
‘I think his victory against Wladimir Klitschko in Germany. I watched that in a hotel on a laptop in America, I thought he had absolutely no chance. He won every single round.
‘When he fought Deontay Wilder in America, I thought he had absolutely no chance. He was robbed in the first fight. He smashed him to pieces in the second fight.
Usyk emerged victorious when the pair first met inside the ring in a 12-round clash in May
The two-division undisputed champion is yet to taste defeat in his professional career
‘Two generational, great heavyweights, two credits to the sport. May God bless you both on Saturday night. But most of all, can’t believe I’m saying it. May Tyson fury be victorious on Saturday night for Britain.’
The pair remained head-to-head for over ten minutes, with Fury becoming increasingly animated as it continued.
When they first met inside the ring back in May, Usyk handed Fury his first career defeat as a professional and in doing so claimed the undisputed heavyweight title.
After a tense opening, Fury enjoyed success during the middle rounds on that night before the Ukrainian rallied as the fight wore on.
In the ninth round Usyk overwhelmed his larger opponent, peppering Fury with a flurry of answered strikes that prompted the referee to call a standing eight count.
Once again the Gypsy King demonstrated his uncanny ability to rally back from adversity by working his way back into the fight in the closing rounds but it ultimately was not enough and Usyk was ruled the winner on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
HOW TO WATCH: Register and watch Usyk vs. Fury 2 on DAZN here
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