DILLIAN WHYTE has been training for the fight in his life in an Algarve fishing community - just as Tyson Fury will be caught cold.
Just under two years ago, the WBC's No1-ranked candidate moved his camp to Portugal and has been enjoying the benefits ever since.
Dillian Whyte and his team celebrate 2021
Xavier Miller, Harold Knight, and a physiotherapist, chef, and a sparring partner are also present on the ground.
Simon Evans, Whyte’s performance director for the past seven-years and fifteen fights, is what makes all of the plans come together.
SunSport is given a glimpse into Evans' secret training camp before Fury takes on the world at Wembley.
SPARRING
This is a great dress rehearsal for any fighter. However, it is not easy to find 6ft 9in heavyweights who are switch-hitting and agile.
Whyte, 34 years old, is also keeping an eye on Fury's shift in tactics, moving from back foot boxer into forward power puncher.
His camp had already compiled a list with ideal sparring partners by Chritsmas and was happy with the results.
SE: "Clearly, it's hard to find someone who is identical to Fury's.
"But what we really want is sparring partners that collectively offer Fury's best.
"And we managed it, we are very happy with the way that sparring went, it was well planned.
"We are happy with the preparation, with Fury's style and height.
"I don’t believe anyone can predict what he’s going to do. You can never be 100%.
"You can make an educated guess. We have done extensive research and prepared for every eventuality."
CONDITIONING AND STRENGTH
In his last fight, Whyte weighed 17st 9lb, beating Alexander Povetkin (42), in a knockout victory.
Fury, 33 years old, weighed in at over 2 stone when he defeated Deontay Wilder (36), in round 11 in their October trilogy bout.
This means Whyte must match the Gypsy King’s strength and power.
SE: "The strength, conditioning and connection side of it are very important.
"Dillian trains and trains because he loves it. He would train all day if it were up to him.
"That's why it's so important to monitor all he does, whether it be the number of rounds or the conditioning.
"With that, it is clear he's doing weights. He's very strong. But you can't go too much one way. It's all good to be strong with weights but can your body move?
NUTRITION
Vow Nutrition is Whyte's partner, and they send any necessary supplements to him in camp.
Informed Sports also certifies them all. They ensure that everything is clean and has been batch tested.
Whyte was placed on a two year suspension for unknowingly having taken a banned substance in 2012. Vow Nutrition and Vow Nutrition were also present to help him avoid repeating the same mistake.
SE: "It's one those things, if it's not around you or you just don't know then if I go to Tesco or Sainsburys, I'd assume that everything is fine there.
"Well, that's not true. Anything found in random shops could be on the prohibited list.
You wouldn't believe it. To take a banned drug you would have to travel to a really disgusting place or do something very sinister.
"But that's not true. You can find banned substances in any substance and not realize.
"And when I refer to "banned substances", I don't always mean steroids. Sometimes you can take too many of one substance and you become banned.
"Or pre-workout, for example, many pre-workouts contain stuff that are banned. It can be very complicated."
DIET
Another important part of Whyte’s plan is to keep the engine running. However, the amount of fuel he uses will depend on the day.
SE: "Each session might require more carbs than the others. It all depends. Some days he may have more carbs than others.
"We know Dillian's ideal weight, so there are limits. This can change depending on the style of the fight and who the opponent might be.
"But the most important thing about the nutrition side of things is that Dillian doesn't feel tired and is always ready to give all in every session."
MEDIA SILENCE
Whyte remained virtually silent for the last two weeks. He opted against any press conference or other media appearances.
After the challenger disclosed that ongoing issues had not been resolved, it was done.
Fears were raised that Whyte might even cancel the show, with Frank Warren, promoter of the event, claiming that he had a replacement opponent ready for him.
Evans, the camp manager, said that Whyte was still behind-the scenes, and as hungry for fights as ever.
SE: "The great thing about Dillian is that he's so focused.
"Regardless of whether there are 1,000 people watching him train in the gym or not, it doesn't really matter. He's so driven internally that it won’t really make any difference.
"Don't get it wrong, not having that much media attention - and not necessarily with him – allows the team more time to focus on Dillian.
"From this point of view, it has its advantages but the media doesn’t really matter to us. We all know our jobs, and the ultimate goal.
"We are all professionals, we won't sit and do an interview instead of training - we respect you guys, but we can wait!
"But, it just shows that the priority is to get the right results and Dillian is on a similar wavelength.
"Nothing can stop you from performing at your best on that particular night."
