Fury vs Ngannou LIVE: Latest boxing fight updates and reaction after controversial result in Saudi Arabia

Okay! The ceremony is over. The ring walks are up next.

The stage just moved backwards, and the ring is emerging from a hole in the floor.

That bit was admittedly quite cool.

The main event is edging closer, I promise.

Singer Becky G has just finished her performance. Onto the next.

In the words of Ken Watanabe in 2014’s Godzilla, “Let them fight!”

Please.

All the performers, dancers included, are obviously very talented. And the visuals on display are relatively impressive.

But this is nothing close to being the stunning ceremony that was advertised. Maybe it’ll reach new heights as it goes on.

The opening ceremony is taking place as we speak. Rapper Lil Baby is performing at the moment.

The opening ceremony has still not begun. I wonder how Ngannou is feeling backstage. He’s not warming up right now – maybe he doesn’t want to overdo it – but is standing, swaying, and talking to members of his team.

Will these be some of the longest minutes of his life, or some of the shortest?

This is the tedious bit. We wait for the ceremony to begin, before we can wait for the fight to begin.

Riyadh Season will officially kick off with an opening ceremony in a few moments.

Per ESPN, it has been arranged by the same producers who look after Olympic opening ceremonies and Super Bowl half-time shows.

Then, the ring walks...

In the crowd right now are Cristiano Ronaldo, Kanye West, Conor McGregor, Eminem, The Undertaker, Oleksandr Usyk – and many more familiar faces from the worlds of sports and entertainment.

Former UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman are in Ngannou’s changing room. At one time, all three African-born fighters held UFC titles at once. In fact, they were the first three African-born champions in UFC history and remain the only ones to this day.

Right, then. One fight left, the big one.

Next up: Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou, the ‘Battle of the Baddest’.