Derek Chisora must beat Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday if he is to have any chance of fighting for the heavyweight world title again.

Briton Chisora, 36, knows toppling highly touted Usyk from Ukraine will catapult him into the conversation for a crack at a title.

More than eight years have passed since Chisora’s only world-title tilt resulted in defeat by Vitali Klitschko.

“It really is the last chance,” said BBC boxing correspondent Mike Costello.

“The queue is just getting too long for Chisora to get back to anywhere near the front of it if he loses.”

So can Chisora – a fighter typically so buoyed by fans – pull off a shock behind closed doors at Wembley Arena?

No regrets is fuelling the fire

Promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed a written-off Chisora told him two years ago that his career “ain’t nowhere near over yet”.

For once Chisora seems to have found a peace. A fighter once in the headlines for throwing tables, brawling with rivals outside the ring and slapping opponents at weigh-ins has perhaps started contemplating how his final years in the ring will be remembered.

“Motivation for me is I don’t want to say ‘I could have done this or that’ after I retire,” said Chisora. “I want to give it all when I can.

“When it’s all done I can look back and say ‘do I have any regrets?’ Right now I don’t have any.

“I may lose nine rounds, 11 rounds. Who knows what will happen in 12? It’s boxing, you don’t know. I hope he is ready because we are bringing violence, boxing, everything. We will throw so much stuff at him.”

‘There will be no war… I brought peace’

Much of the narrative for the fight has featured Chisora’s team questioning whether Usyk, 33, can make the transition from being dominant at cruiserweight to the added physicality he will face against rugged heavyweights.

“We are not going to have a boxing match,” Chisora’s manager David Haye said. “Derek knows he has to take it into a dog fight. No feeling out or getting a feel for range. Get on his chest and bombs from the first round.”

Usyk – a 2012 Olympic champion blessed with graceful footwork – pointed to the fact he handled heavyweight fighters during his amateur days and added: “There will be no war. I brought peace and it will be pure, clear boxing.”

Even UFC’s recently retired star Khabib Nurmagomedov has waded into the debate, stating Usyk’s skills mean he “is not like other heavyweights” and that he hopes to see him one day take on Tyson Fury.

A Fury fight in the short term is unlikely as Usyk is the mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua’s WBO belt. It remains to be seen whether Joshua vacates the title in order to be free to fight Fury in 2021 but, regardless of his choice, Usyk knows a win against Chisora – rugged or graceful – keeps him beautifully positioned.

“This fight is absolutely crucial in the career of both men for very different reasons,” said Costello.

Who will win?

BBC Sport boxing correspondent Mike Costello: “I can’t get away from the class of Usyk and the sheer brilliance we saw at cruiserweight.

“He can make the step up, if not at the very highest level of the heavyweight division. He has enough to beat Chisora and he might get on top early on.”

BBC Radio 5 Live boxing analyst Steve Bunce: “I see Derek putting pressure on non-stop but the pressure being less and less effective.

“We may see Derek really up against it in the last three or four rounds. Usyk to win.

Do you agree? What do you think? Let us know your prediction on Twitter using the hashtag #bbcboxing.