Fury vs Chisora predictions: Who will win the WBC heavyweight world title clash?

Tyson Fury will take one more step towards the undisputed heavyweight crown when he takes on Derek Chisora in defence of his WBC world title on Saturday night, exclusively live on BT Sport.

The Gypsy King is determined that this be the last stop on the road to Oleksandr Usyk in the first half of 2023 but he must be on top form against one of the most game competitors in recent British heavyweight history, the 38-year-old Chisora.

Daniel Dubois also returns to action on Saturday night in his first defence of the WBA regular heavyweight title he won during a comprehensive and dominant KO victory against Trevor Bryan in the summer.

Plus there’s a fascinating clash between reigning European lightweight champion Yvan Mendy and the undefeated Ukrainian crowd pleaser Denys Berinchyk to look forward to at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But who will come up trumps on one of the biggest cards of the year, exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office? Read on to find out our picks for the three big fights of the night.

Yvan Mendy vs Denys Berinchyk

Yvan Mendy will put his European lightweight title on the line when he welcomes Denys Berinchyk to the squared circle in a fight that he hopes will entertain the masses in north London.

The hard-hitting Frenchman will be fighting for just the second time since May 2020 when he makes his ring walk on Saturday night but comes into the bout off the back of a dominant win over 12 rounds against Gianluca Ceglia in April.

However, speaking to Queensberry Boxing ahead of the fight this weekend, Mendy called upon Berinchyk to meet him head-on in the ring having been frustrated by a number of evasive opponents in the past.

"I have five losses on points," said Mendy.

"Three of my opponents competed in World Championship fights. [Luke] Campbell, [Viktor] Postol and [Edis] Tatli. These three boxers beat me on points, at home, and by fleeing the whole fight."

Whether Berinchyk answers his call remains to be seen but the 2012 Olympic silver medallist comes from rich boxing stock having fought alongside the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk at the London games a decade ago.

The 34-year-old was a decorated amateur and has not put a foot wrong since turning over to go pro in 2015, winning all 16 of his professional contests.

Renowned for his eye-catching ring walks, Berinchyk has previously entered battle wearing a strait jacket, rode into the arena on the back of a horse and even come to the ring on a stretcher in a full body cast!

Berinchyk has also tried his hand at bare knuckle boxing in recent times, defeating former UFC star Artem Lobov by TKO in July last year.

But for all his showmanship outside of the ring, Berinchyk could prove to be yet another frustrating opponent for Mendy to deal with this weekend, relying on speed, technique and movement rather than raw power as his path to victory.

It’s an approach that has paid dividends for Berinchyk so far and I think that trend will continue with a masterful performance expected from the Ukrainian that would secure the European lightweight crown in front of former team-mate Usyk, who is expected to be in attendance this weekend.

Verdict: Berinchyk via UD

Daniel Dubois vs Kevin Lerena

Daniel Dubois has bounced back impressively since suffering the first defeat of his promising professional career against Joe Joyce almost two years ago exactly.

Three successive knockout victories have put the 25-year-old back on the ascent to blockbuster fights in the heavyweight division, securing the WBA regular world title along the way.

It’s that version of the heavyweight belt which Dubois will defend for the first time on Saturday having needed only four rounds to snatch the title from its previous holder, Trevor Bryan, back in June.

It will also mark the fourth fight in a blossoming fighter-trainer relationship between Dubois and esteemed cornerman Shane McGuigan – and the results are certainly beginning to bear fruit.

At this week’s media workouts, Dubois looked a well-oiled machine and perhaps a little lighter than we have seen in recent fights as he went through a snappy routine on the pads.

He’ll need to rely on his speed against the shorter Lerena, who many fight fans will only have seen in the flesh for the first time at the workouts on Tuesday afternoon.

The 30-year-old former IBO cruiserweight champion is a short, stocky, solid unit and can clearly whack, with half his career wins coming inside the distance.

It should prove to be a fascinating challenge for Dubois to work out, particularly given Lerena fights out of a southpaw stance, presenting a different look than ‘DDD’ has come across for most of his career to date.

Lerena will not be coming to lie down either having only tasted defeat on one previous occasion; the South African star knows that if he can cap a good performance with a victory on the biggest night of his career, he will unlock the path to huge riches in a red-hot heavyweight division.

It may take Dubois a while to work Lerena out but over 12 rounds, it feels likely the towering Brit will break him down eventually and find a home for that fight-ending left hook.

Hopefully Lerena is able to pose a few problems to Dubois in the meantime so we’re able to see just how much he has developed since that Joyce loss – but anything other than a Dubois KO victory would be a real surprise to me.

Verdict: Dubois via TKO, R9

Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora

The Gypsy King will be out to avoid the mother of all banana skins on Saturday night when he takes on familiar foe Derek Chisora in what he hopes is the final stop on the road to undisputed heavyweight title contention.

IBF, WBO and WBA champion Oleksandr Usyk is rumoured to be ringside on Saturday evening amid the expectation that a victorious Fury will declare the Ukrainian to be his next opponent in a blockbuster heavyweight showdown for all the marbles early in 2023.

However, that could all come crashing down unless Fury is on his A-game against a man who has seen it all in the boxing game, the 38-year-old Chisora.

For all intents and purposes, this will probably be Chisora’s final attempt at securing an elusive world title having been beaten on his only previous attempt back in 2012 by Vitali Klitschko.

That might make Del Boy the most dangerous he has ever been, particularly given how sizable an underdog he is heading into the fight; all the pressure is on Fury’s shoulders to defeat an aging Chisora handily.

For what Chisora may lack in terms of technical ability, he more than makes up for in spirit – and that relentless desire to come forward and apply pressure may be his best weapon against Fury.

However, it’s nothing Fury won’t have come across before – particularly having shared the ring twice with Chisora before, winning handily on both occasions.

Outside of a huge shot from the gods, it feels difficult to make a case for Chisora being able to win this fight anywhere against Fury, who has shown himself to be one of the most well-rounded and adaptable fighters in the heavyweight division.

I expect Fury to ride early pressure from Chisora through the opening four rounds, staying mobile like a matador and picking shots to chip away at the tiring challenger.

Once into the later rounds, I think Fury will look to make a statement by doing what Usyk could not, securing the knockout finish against Chisora – although I think the referee’s intervention is more likely than an outright KO.

Verdict: Fury via TKO, R11