Pundits, fighters and pundits have their say ahead of the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury for the WBO, WBA and WBC heavyweight world titles in Riyadh.

Joseph Parker (former heavyweight champion)

I am confident that the approach to this fight will be very different than the first fight. In the first fight he (Fury) was serious, but I feel like he’s a lot more serious this time. He keeps the team small, he is much more focused. I think he is more motivated and wants to prove that he can beat Oleksandr Usyk and get back on his feet. Going into this fight, I have 100 percent confidence that he can do the job.

When you have that belief in yourself and that confidence when you’ve done the work – and I’m sure he’s done the work in camp with the sparring partners, with Sugarhill (Steward, his trainer) and with everyone else he’s in Camp believes he can win, but in an incredible way.

Many have tried but had no success. But if anyone can do it, it’s Tyson Fury.

Natasha Jonas (World Champion)

I’m going to do Fury. He’ll piss off the applecart. I thought in the later rounds he thought he had the edge and he didn’t do enough. Then came the precipitation. I just thought if he had ended the way he started he probably would have gotten the nod.

I saw him at the Nick Ball fight and he looked so lean and trim. He seemed to be in good shape. One of the best forms I’ve ever seen, so I thought he’d be there. If Fury is there, I think he’ll be hard to beat.

Johnny Nelson (former world champion)

I’ll put my neck on the line and predict a Fury win from afar.

I have come full circle. Normally I support him for everything he does and says, but in such an important fight, a Legacy fight, I like everything.

Wladimir Klitschko (former heavyweight world champion)

Oleksandr will repeat history. It will be déjà vu. So repeat. That’s exactly what actually happens. I was here for the first fight. It just feels the same and it looks the same and is the same.

It’s about strategy. It depends on the technology.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that this time too he’ll show that he’s the baddest man on the planet, Oleksandr Usyk.

Dillian Whyte (former Fury opponent)

It’s hard to say because if I’m a betting man, I’d go for Oleksandr Usyk.

But I know from the story of watching Fury fight and how determined he was to be in the camp with him and fight him and see him bounce back again and again.

It’s hard to take action against him because you can’t just write him off. You think he’s done, he’s not going to come back, and then he just comes back and produces the goods.

Mikaela Mayer (world champion)

In a heavyweight fight you never know. My gut feeling is that Usyk will make it.

It depends on what Tyson shows. I think you’ll see a pretty similar Usyk. He will do what he does.

Tyson is the one who needs to adapt a little and we’ll see if he does.

Kalle Sauerland (promoter)

It’s a 50-50, like the first one. You are dealing with two boxers whose greatest asset is not their physical abilities, but their boxing IQ, their ability to switch between fights, changing styles and tactics. So from that point of view it’s fascinating.

When they’re so close in terms of talent at heavyweight, you go with size. You go with the bigger man. I’m going with the bigger man.

I think the fight won’t go the distance this time. Tyson will use the extra weight he appears to be carrying to really go for it, and I feel like he did that in the stages of the first fight.

Shane McGuigan (coach)

In the first fight there was a lack of anger (aggression) as he was too calm and too relaxed.

He has to stay on and hit Usyk specifically. This way he can win.

I think Fury has more success than in the first fight – he could drop Usyk. But the longer the fight goes on, the more I prefer Usyk to win on points or stop him.

Richard Torrez (Olympic silver medalist)

I prefer Usyk a little more just because he has the right plan now. He knows what it takes to win.

I think Usyk did a really good job of taking down some of those heavyweights. Just the movement, the feints and going in and not letting them sit down and throw.

But I feel like people think Usyk destroyed Tyson. It was a close fight fought within two rounds. It was active, it was competitive. I think if Tyson Fury can just keep him in check a little bit more and if he can do something, either using more feints or just holding out the jabbing hand… the most important thing is that you can’t discount Tyson.

I’m looking forward to the fight. I prefer Usyk a little more.

But I’m not counting out the big man.

David Adeleye (English track listing)

I think Fury will stop him. Usyk is close to the ceiling, so I don’t know how much improvement he can make. I believe there is still a lot of room for improvement with Tyson, so I expect Tyson to come out victorious.

Regardless of whether Fury or Usyk wins, it’s a knockout for me. I don’t think the judges are needed. This time I don’t think it will factor into the scorecards.

Martin Bakole (heavyweight contender)

I was surprised (when Usyk beat Fury). I was surprised not only by Usyk, but also by Tyson Fury’s performance. He played.

He should be focused like he was in the Deontay Wilder rematch. If he adopts that mentality in the rematch, I think he will stop Usyk like he did Deontay. Since the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch, we saw a different Tyson Fury focused on victory.

Putting your hands behind your back and not moving shows that you are not focused. One round changed everything. A left hook changed everything.

I want him to be 100 percent focused and not mess around.

(Usyk) is 100 percent focused on winning the fight. So they must be the same.

The big heavyweight rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday December 21st. Book Usyk v Fury 2 now!