RIYADH: Days out from Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury and one of boxing’s biggest grudge matches, the encounter between the bitter rivals is dividing opinions across the Kingdom and around the world.

Both undefeated with explosive knockout power, boxing fans are split on who will emerge victorious at the Diriyah Arena on Feb. 26, especially given how impressive the two fighters have looked so far in their professional careers.

One man particularly qualified to break down the fight and offer his perspective is perennial heavyweight contender Derek Chisora, who made his professional debut 16 years ago and has since become one the sport’s most popular fighters, earning the nickname “War” for his aggressive, entertaining, no-nonsense fighting style.

The fight-game veteran, who is heavily involved with “The Truth” as a promoter, admits he is impressed with Paul, who has successfully transitioned to boxing having initially found fame as an actor and social media personality. Chisora insists Paul (6-0, KO 4) is entering the contest mentally prepared and believes the recent demeanour of Fury, half-brother of WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, has not been that of someone convinced that they will win.

“Jake has no fear. He’s always been on a winning streak in life and he is confident,” said Chisora, who has twice challenged for the world heavyweight championship. “When you know nothing but winning and everything is going well for you, your confidence is so high and you have that winning mentality, which is extremely important. There is no fear factor in his eyes. 

“With Tommy Fury, you can tell he’s got doubts because he comes from a boxing background. His brother is arguably the biggest boxer in the sport, and people are telling him he will lose his name if he loses to Jake. This probably puts a lot of doubts in his head.”

While Chisora is hopeful his fellow countryman Fury (8-0, KO 4) can come out on top, he believes the fight is too close to call, which only adds to the interest and intrigue felt by fight fans worldwide. “The whole world will be watching this fight and soon we will find out who is mentally and physically stronger,” he said. “As a Brit, I want Tommy Fury to win, but right now it’s so hard to predict who will win because anything can happen.”

Aside from “The Truth” and Sunday’s mouth-watering main event, Chisora reserved high praise for the emphasis placed on nationwide sports development by the Ministry of Sport, as well as the Kingdom’s vision for hosting major international sporting events.

Inspired by Vision 2030 and the Quality of Life Program — which aims to increase weekly participation in sports and activities to 40 percent — Saudi Arabia is providing a host of opportunities for men and women across the country.

Between 2015-2020, the Kingdom witnessed an 800 percent increase in organized sports groups and 48.2 percent of people across the country now practice physical and sporting activities at least 30 minutes a week. Additionally, female sports participation is up 150 percent since 2015 and the Kingdom’s sports economy has recorded growth of 174 percent in the past three years alone.

“The Kingdom is moving in the right direction and has cemented itself on the global sports map,” Chisora observed. “There is a great atmosphere and spirit in the Kingdom, which is inspiring not only to the local community, but also the rest of the world.

“What’s happening is incredible to see — from Saudi beating Argentina in the World Cup a few months ago, which was unbelievable, to hosting some of the biggest and best events in the world like F1, golf, and boxing, which are massive and attract new audiences.”

Chisora is equally impressed with the passion and enthusiasm of young Saudis to take up the sport of boxing as he once did. As far as what awaits young talent pursuing boxing across the Kingdom, he believes the sky is the limit, as proven by the Saudi fighters featuring on The Truth undercard this weekend.

“There is so much talent in Saudi,” he said.” I’ve met some incredible young boys and girls who are interested in taking up boxing professionally, so I know that the future is bright for them. It’s also great to see young local boxers being represented on the undercard such as Ziyad Almaayouf and Ragad Al-Naimi, who will make history as the first female Saudi boxer to make a professional debut.”

“The Truth” and Jake Paul v Tommy Fury promises to be an unmissable spectacle from Diriyah’s purpose-built arena and is part of Diriyah Season’s second edition, which presents a series of world-class international sports and entertainment events from the birthplace of Saudi Arabia and a UNESCO heritage site.