If Las Vegas is the undisputed gambling capital of the world, Riyadh is fast developing into the fight mecca of the universe. This is all down to the ambitious Turki Alalshikh, the most powerful man in boxing right now.

Known to all as "His Excellency", he has moved the needle when it comes to the noble art and on May 18, thanks to Uncle Turki and the Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority, the sport will break new ground.

That is because for the first time in history we will see all four heavyweight belts up for grabs in a historic unification fight.

Tyson Fury puts his WBC title on the line while Oleksandr Usyk puts his WBA, WBO and IBF straps into the mix. The result should see boxing's first undisputed heavyweight champion crowned since Lennox Lewis back in 1999.

The pair were supposed to meet on February 17, but it was revealed that Fury had suffered a serious cut above his right eye during a sparring session.

It is a fascinating contest between two men destined for boxing's Hall-of-Fame. The 'Gypsy King' is 34-0-1 (24 KOs) and at the age of 35 knows this is the fight that will define his legacy.

Usyk is 21-0 (14 KOs) and having unified at cruiserweight needs a victory in Saudi to emulate Evander Holyfield by becoming undisputed heavyweight champion after first conquering the cruiserweight division.

The stakes could not be higher, and both men are receiving career high purses for this fight thanks to the Saudi money.

The bookies are struggling to split them, with both fighters having been chalked up as narrow favourites to win at various points over the last few months. As it stands, Fury is a best price 10/11 for victory while if you shop around, you can get 21/20 for Usyk - the draw is a 16/1 shot.

Usyk has an edge when it comes to movement, cardio and mental strength. What makes him a legit Hall-of-Famer is how well he blends offense with elusiveness. Usyk can stand in the pocket and trade, but he is also comfortable boxing from the outside and racking up the points with his rapier jab and quick combos. 

In terms of mental strength Usyk has few peers. His career has been spent largely on the road, and he is not intimidated by big reputations or big crowds. While he likes to laugh and joke on social media, behind those eyes is a fierce competitor who is hugely driven.

He is brilliant defensively and a box of tricks on the outside, but is also a fighter known for the rhythmic percussion of his precise shots. He almost has a sixth sense, anticipating shots coming his way and Usyk's timing is second to none.

Usyk does not take a lot of risks but does have power and goes through the gears when he feels he has an opponent where he wants him. He is not a one-punch KO merchant, but the volume of his stiff shots is often enough to see his enemy wilt.

The Ukrainian does have weaknesses - he is a brilliant counter-puncher but can be tagged when he leads off himself.

It has also been noted he does not particularly like being hit to the body. He was on the floor against Dubois and while the shot that put him there was ultimately deemed a low blow, it seemed to be right on the beltline and one wonders whether he could have weathered the storm had the shot not been deemed illegal.

His head movement is elite but it is so much more difficult to defend against body shots, and for this reason look for Fury to have a clear strategy to target the Usyk mid-section.

The 'Gypsy King' is no slouch himself when it comes to ring craft. He controlled the distance beautifully against Dillian Whyte in 2022.

That fight at Wembley was probably the last fight where Fury will have had some degree of fear going in (no disrespect to Dereck Chisora or Francis Ngannou) as Whyte was a capable operator who could bang.

However, he was almost perfect against 'The Bodysnatcher', controlling the distance majestically before closing the show with a hellacious uppercut.

Fury has a clear edge in terms of power against Usyk. He was able to stop Wilder twice and the uppercut he finished Whyte with was stunning.

Usyk is going to be the fighter looking to close the space, but Fury will surely try to make it ugly and 'rag doll' an opponent who is much smaller to try and break his rhythm. 

Fury is vulnerable and has been on the floor multiple times in his career but he has amazing powers of recovery.

Nobody who watched the first fight against Wilder, and what went on in the last round, will forget it. During the 12th round of their thrilling WBC heavyweight title clash in 2018, Wilder launched a devastating right hook-left hook combination that sent Fury to the mat, flat on his back.

Fury looked out cold for a few seconds but suddenly snapped back into life, beat the count and actually finished the fight on the front foot.

Fury is always at his best when his back is against the wall. Let's not forget he went to Germany and snapped Wladimir Klitschko's long unbeaten streak. He also went in against Wilder three times and never lost. Despite the recent revisionism, Wilder is still regarded as one of the heaviest punchers in heavyweight history.

In terms of tactics, 'The Gypsy King' may take a leaf out of Klitschko's book and do what Wlad did against smaller, faster men. At his best, Klitschko would pepper an opponent with a few big shots and then smother and clinch, using his enormous size to sap their energy.

Plenty will be backing Fury, but there are weaknesses. He looked terrible against Ngannou last time out and while complacency was clearly an issue against a boxing novice, the fact he got knocked down and barely won against a fighter Anthony Joshua later exposed must be a worry.

Most fight experts are predicting that Fury will have to get it done inside the distance if he hopes to beat the Ukrainian slickster. He is the more powerful man and could get him out of there with body shots.

However, we are not so sure.

The intangible here is Fury's relationship with Turki Alalshikh. The pair have said in recent press calls how they have a plan for Fury to fight on for several years, and the money and interest Fury v Joshua could generate would be something else. 

There is a very real possibility that Usyk outboxes Fury but gets stiffed on the cards. To win he may have to dominate, and clearly win nine or 10 rounds to get the nod.

Given this is a generational contest and that the eyes of the sporting world will be on Riyadh, one hopes we get a conclusive winner and that it is not controversial.

In terms of a prediction, we tentatively go for Fury to win on points in a decision that might well be controversial. Usyk is a joy to watch, but Fury's physicality, the height, reach and speed might be enough to see him get over the line.

Tip: Fury to win by decision or technical decision at 2/1 (General)