As one of the most bombastic and unpredictable heavyweight champions since the man he was named after, Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, it has become custom for WBC and lineal king Tyson Fury to say one thing on a specific topic only to change his opinion entirely the following day. 

Part carnival barker, comedian and an expert on all things mental warfare, this is simply par for the course in the Tyson Fury experience.  

But as Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) settles in for what could be the most difficult threat to his championship reign on Saturday when he meets WBA, WBO and IBF titleholder Oleksandr Usyk in the first four-belt, undisputed heavyweight championship fight in boxing history, it has been interesting to hear a recent change in tune from the “Gyspy King” just days out from their long-awaited clash in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

After years of attempting to embarrass, humiliate and rile up Usyk through his steady use of comedic insults — from referring to the former undisputed cruiserweight champion as everything from a middleweight and a rabbit to calling him “a little sausage” — recent days have seen Fury, 35, do nothing but compliment Usyk’s impressive resume as a former Olympic gold medalist who twice upset Anthony Joshua in recent years to become the unified heavyweight champion. 

The shift marked a sharp turn from Fury’s previous tactics like posting odd social media videos accusing Usyk of asking for too much money and delaying the fight, even though it was actually Fury who spent the last year-plus being accused of avoiding him. Or the time five months ago, at their kickoff press conference, when Fury pushed his forehead into Usyk, as an attempt to intimidate him during their face off, only to be pushed back as the two literally butted heads in a test of strength and machismo. 

Given his advantages in size, which include seven inches in reach and six inches in height, Fury remains a slight betting favorite as the clock ticks closer toward a fight so historically important that some have called it the sport’s biggest since Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao shattered pay-per-view records in 2015. But after years of using his mind to gain a mental edge over just about everyone he has stepped into the ring with, it has become fascinating to ponder whether Fury has finally met an opponent with the type of mental fortitude that he simply can’t break. 

And it has all begged an interesting question: Has Fury, ever the wily fox, finally met his match?