Williams set to saddle first Saudi runner

RIYADH: With under a week to go, Jake Paul and Tommy Fury are in Saudi Arabia and gearing up to finally settle their long-running dispute in the ring at Diriyah Arena on Feb. 26.

Twice postponed, Paul versus Fury sees two undefeated fighters face off in the latest headline boxing event to take place in Saudi Arabia. This follows “Clash on the Dunes” between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua in 2019 and last summer’s “Rage on the Red Sea,” which again featured Joshua in a second meeting with Oleksandr Usyk.

“I’m delighted to finally be here in Saudi Arabia,” Fury said on arrival at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. “First and foremost, I’d like to thank the Ministry of Sport, Saudi Arabian Boxing Federation, Prince Khaled, and all those who’ve worked hard to get this fight on and make it happen in such a fantastic country that’s fast becoming a new home for global sport.

“I’ve trained too hard, sparred too many decent guys and have too much experience for there to be any other outcome. There’s nothing Jake Paul does inside that ring that has me worried. He’s delusional for believing he’s going to win — I’m levels above him and he’s going to find that out the hard way.”

Paul responded in a similar dismissive manner. “I’m going to show him on Feb. 26 that this is the hurt business,” said Paul. “I’ve sparred against harder guys, people who are world champions and ranked number one in their divisions, so preparations could not have gone any better and I don’t feel any pressure going into this fight. People are definitely going to see a knockout and I’ll finish him inside three or four rounds. Tommy’s not going to like this sport anymore when I’m done with him.”

Ravi Samani, COO and acting head of marketing, public relations and communications at Skill Challenge Entertainment, said: “We’re now within touching distance of another epic event on Saudi shores. We cannot (wait) for ‘The Truth.’” He said it was a “blockbuster encounter” that should not be missed.

Fight week includes a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 23, with local, regional and international media in attendance. The official weigh-in will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Originally an actor and social media personality, Paul (6-0, 4 KOs) has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the world of boxing since turning professional. Now a global phenomenon, the popular American holds famous stoppage victories over UFC legends Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.

Fury also enters the contest with confidence. The half-brother of WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, he has an unblemished record (8-0, 4 KOs) in his professional campaign and has insisted his victory is a “foregone conclusion,” and predicted his foe “won’t hear the final bell.”

Besides the main event, “The Truth” also features a mouth-watering undercard. Ilunga Makabu puts his WBC cruiserweight world title on the line against former two-weight world champion Badou Jack. In addition, rising Saudi boxing star Ziyad Almaayouf looks to continue his professional ascension against Ronald Martinez, and Ragad Al-Naimi makes history by becoming the first female Saudi boxer to make her professional debut.