It’s the night of the ultimate showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. And who’s who of the known world have already picked their sides for this matchup. Famous American rapper and performer, Lil Wayne too, did not hesitate a bit as he picked Fury to take home the win. He even outlined his expectations from the heavyweight.

The ‘Ring of Fire’ event is already underway at the famous Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. With the undercards slated to begin in moments, the world awaits for the biggest heavyweight clash of this year to take its course. The ring walk for the historic undisputed clash between the WBC champion and his WBA/WBO/IBF titlist counterpart is slated to begin at 1 a.m. in Riyadh. This means that fans in the UK will have to tune in at 11 p.m. and in the US at 6:05 p.m. ET/ 3:05 p.m. PT. With excitement bubbling for that moment, Wayne even went a step ahead and questioned Usyk’s status as a boxer.

In a short video, the rapper exclaimed sitting at a dinner table, “Whoop his motherf**king a**. Usyk? Who’s Usyk? Who you fighting? Who you should be shadow boxing? Kick his morherf**king a**.” The clip from Lil Wayne was rooted by Happy Punch on their X feed.

It is interesting to see the rapper pick Fury’s side. The contention among fans of this clash is volatile. While the fight in its truest sense could go either way, the battle between supporters of each fighter is much more lethal. In light of this energy, it is also interesting to see what some early predictions by famous personalities are for the fight.

Who is the favorite and who is the underdog?

BBC did a quick check-in with a few combat names ahead of the historic matchup. They picked their sides with potent explanations. Tonight, between the two fighters, if a draw does not ensue, an undisputed champion will emerge, a title last held by Lennox Lewis in 1999. Who does he think will win the battle? “I think Tyson Fury should win it by points.”

Former world champion and a former opponent of the Ukrainian fighter has sided with him. Tony Bellew, whom Usyk defeated in 2018 through an 8th-round TKO, noted, “Usyk wins on points. If the judges read the fight properly and judge it properly, I can see it being a unanimous decision. The only way I see it getting close is if we have incompetent judging.”

Two-times, UFC champion, Conor McGregor also picked Usyk as his favourite. However, he also noted that there is a chance of Fury dominating the fight too. He explained, “Usyk is a crafty, crafty boxer. If anybody can do it, maybe Usyk can do it. Tyson is also a crafty boxer, plus he has the size. Tyson is a tough man to beat in the boxing arena.”

Evander Holyfield, another pertinent name in the heavyweight division, saw the fight to be a difficult one to call. However, he placed the onus of the clash on Usyk. He summarised, “It can go either way. It all depends if Usyk fights the right fight.”

Oscar De La Hoya, an omnipresent voice in boxing, kept his preferences with Fury. He cited ‘The Gypsy King’s’ size as his winning factory. ‘Golden Boy’ quipped, “Tyson Fury is the bigger version of Usyk. He has speed. He has power. He’s very versatile. I have to go with Tyson.”

A lot rides on this fight for both fighters. With the boxing world bustling with their predictions, it remains to be seen whose choice takes home the undisputed title. Who do you side with tonight? Take your picks in the comments sections below.