I have seen a change in Tyson Fury since I’ve been here in Riyadh this week. A change that has convinced me he will reclaim his title.

Back in October, at the Guildhall press conference in London, Oleksandr Usyk stole the show. Dressed like a hitman, he got Fury to autograph a photograph of him delivering a punch to Fury’s jaw. When Fury signed it, I questioned why? He’d allowed Usyk to belittle him. Something he used to do himself to opponents.

It left me questioning his mindset, his professionalism and I fully expected Usyk to come into this fight with the upper hand.

JUST IN: Tyson Fury accused of ‘violating’ little-known boxing rule ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch

But I think walking away from that press conference, a switch flipped in Fury’s head. His pride kicked in and he questioned himself. I’ve often been critical of Fury and that’s because he is incredibly talented but rarely fights at 100 per cent of his real ability.

This time, perhaps riled by what happened in London, he has gone away to Malta for his training camp, made himself uncomfortable and got into the right head space. What we see now is bitter man with a chip on his shoulder.

A hungry fighter is a dangerous man but a hungry champion is unbeatable. Fury lost his hunger. The signs were there, falling out of pubs, not being professional, it had all become too easy, but I now see a different mentality and he looks to have his appetite back. Here’s how he can win…

After losing to Usyk, Anthony Joshua tried to put extra weight on thinking he could overpower him in the rematch, and it played into the Ukrainian’s hands. Fury will be heavy at just over 20 stone but he won’t make the same mistakes.

He needs to be offensive, apply calculated pressure and take Usyk out of a conventional environment. That means sailing close to the wind. Use the forearms, the elbows, maybe punch him in the balls on the blind side, ultimately make Usyk uncomfortable because that evokes emotion and that’s when mistakes happen.

Usyk is strong, fleet-footed, moves his body like an eel and will be looking to draw Fury out. Fury though will be looking to randomly throw shots over the top, change the angles and then look for the gap as Usyk is prone to raising his elbows and leaving the gate open for the uppercut. With his extra weight, I’m convinced that’s the punch that can end this fight in Fury’s favour.

Fury’s physicality has a big role to play in this fight. It’s no use sitting on the back foot with that extra height and weight. He needs to use that reach to pound in the straight jabs, establishing a pattern to open up Usyk’s defence a gap down the middle.

He is an intelligent boxer but he’s also the better fighter, smarter at using the dark arts. Usyk is a great boxer but he’s not a great fighter. His strength is his movement, his fighting science. He’s a clever counter puncher. He feeds off his opponent’s actions and makes them work at a pace that suits him. He’s got the greater discipline and may have the edge in mental strength and fitness too.

Fury’s legs aren’t what they used to be. He has not been professional enough with his lifestyle and that can take it’s toll. He is prone to clowning around at the wrong moment, as he did in the first encounter. It has become habit in most of his fights when he has that little switch-off.

In the 11 minute face-off on Thursday, it was Fury who was first to break into the verbals and Usyk had a wry smile as if to acknowledge a mental point gained. Usyk is vulnerable to body shots. Daniel Dubois proved that but wasn’t able to capitalise because Usyk played to the ‘low blow’, it wasn’t and it hurt him, you could see by the knee-jerk reaction. It’s no coincidence that the beltline and what is deemed the ‘low blow’ level were among the issues under discussion with officials yesterday.

This won’t go beyond six or seven rounds and I take Fury to win by a stoppage.

If it goes the distance, it will be a fight both will struggle to recover from physically.

Oleksandr Usyk’s camp are demanding that Tyson Fury shaves his beard ahead of their mega rematch on Saturday night, claiming it ‘violates’ boxing rules.

Fury, who is aiming to avenge his defeat to Usyk from earlier this year, has sported an impressive beard in Saudi Arabia during fight week.

In a statement released on the eve of the fight, Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk said: ‘[The] beard rule is grossly violated.

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‘WBC rules clearly say: “A boxer may spouse a trimmed beard and/or moustache as long as, in the discretion of the commission and the supervisor, the facial hair thickness does not: (1) cushion or in any way affect the impact or trajectory of punches; or (2) cause cuts or abrasions to his rival.”

‘So, Tyson Fury’s beard has to be trimmed. We will push it further.’

Fury’s promoter Frank Warren attempted to downplay the remarks from Team Usyk and said it was not uncommon for bearded boxers to enter the ring.

‘He has a beard and there’s been a lot of fighters over the years who’ve fought with beards, and that’s it,’ he told Sky Sports.

While Usyk’s representatives appear displeased by Fury’s look, the man himself has also downplayed the surprising talking point.

‘For me it doesn’t matter, for me,’ he told iFL TV shortly after the weigh-ins on Friday night. ‘It will not help Tyson Fury.’

Fury has kept his cards close to his chest during fight week but vowed to do some ‘f*****g damage’ as he prepares to re-enter the ring with Usyk in a mega rematch.

‘I’ve got nothing to say, apart from there’s going to be a whole lot of hurt and pain in this fight you watch,’ the Brit said.

‘That’s all I got to say. Talking’s been done. You know, the first fight I talked, I joked, through all my career.

‘This time I’m serious. I’m going to do some f*****g damage here on Saturday night. Watch me go to work on this f*****.’

Fury, 36, weighed in a career-high 20st 1lb for Saturday’s bout at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena. Usyk, 37, is exactly four stone lighter.

A bizarre face-off between the two fighters on Thursday night lasted more than ten minutes.

A victory for Fury could pave the way for a trilogy fight against Ukrainian Usyk or bouts with British rivals Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

British boxing legend Lennox Lewis expects Fury to overturn his defeat in the first fight but only if he takes it ‘seriously’.

‘Tyson Fury wins this because he is the bigger man,’ Lewis told BBC Sport. ‘He will use his jab and needs to throw more punches than the first fight.

‘He can’t muck around and needs to be totally serious. Usyk is good at making you pay. He moves well and that movement is to make you miss and then make you pay.

‘It’s not easy to move around the ring for 12 rounds and I think it will come down to who seizes the moment, who has the best stamina and who punches the most accurate.’