Tyson Fury throws down with Oleksandr Usyk for all the heavyweight marbles later this monthCredit: EPA

Fury is the bookies’ favourite to win the historic undisputed boutCredit: GETTY

Johnny Nelson reckons Fury could use the dark arts to become the undisputed king of the heavyweightCredit: PA

Fury, 35, is the bookies’ favourite to win the Riyad rumble and become the first undisputed heavyweight king since fellow Brit Lennox Lewis.

And former cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson wouldn’t be surprised if he uses some of the dark arts to get his hand raised.

He told Sky Sports: “Tyson is a fighting man, once the bell goes he’ll try everything he can possibly get away with until the referee tells him off.

“Will it get physical? Yes. Will he use every dirty trick in the book he can get away with?

“Without a doubt. It’s a fighting game.

“Most fighters when they get in there they play by the rules.

“And when they get hit low or with an elbow they complain to the referee and then while complaining they get beat up.”

Nelson reckons Fury’s route to victory lies in being extremely physical with the former undisputed cruiserweight king Usyk.

He continued: “He’s got to rough him up, he’s got to lean on him, hit him low, push him to the floor, get in his face, rub his glove in his face, do all the unorthodox things.

“He’s got to get the man rattled in order to feel comfortable.”

Usyk’s chances of winning the desert dust-up in explosive fashion have been written off by many.

But not by Nelson, who is adamant the slick southpaw can put him out for the count:

The 57-year-old said: “I think both men can win by knockout, without a doubt.

“Each heavyweight fight Usyk is having he’s getting more comfortable being in there with heavyweights.

“I know he had five heavyweight sparring partners, I spoke to three of them.

“And they said he got stronger as the rounds went on, and he manhandled all five of them.

“We’re thinking that Fury’s physicality is going to be a big problem for Usyk.

“But Tyson Fury’s physicality is his height, reach and speed, not the power.

“Speed leads to power – and both fighters can get knocked out.”

Should Fury suffer his first-ever defeat via brutal KO, Nelson reckons the WBC king will call time on his career.

He said: “If Fury gets knocked out like Francis Ngannou did, he’ll chuck it in.

“His pride as a fighting man will make him internally combust, doesn’t matter what his PR people say, if that happens to him he’ll struggle to accept it.

“He said before he’d struggle to accept losing to a little cruiserweight.”