Tyson Fury has welcomed another potential opponent into the mix, leaving Arslanbek Makhmudov with more competition than he had perhaps anticipated.
‘The Gypsy King’ is expected to return to action in April, with a fight against towering Russian heavyweight Makhmudov having been confirmed by Spencer Brown, Fury’s manager, as a possible option.
Along with that, Brown told Sky Sports that an additional four or five potential opponents are also being explored, though it does appear that Makhmudov has emerged as a frontrunner.
The Russian comes off a unanimous decision victory over durable customer Dave Allen, who was ultimately outclassed through large spells of their encounter in October.
Prior to that, Makhmudov suffered stoppage defeats to Agit Kabayel, the WBC interim champion, and sturdy contender Guido Vianello, both of them producing dominant performances to emerge triumphant.
As far as comeback opponents go, however, the 36-year-old certainly seems a reasonable choice, not least because of his fan-friendly style and rugged complexion.
But while Fury could, indeed, collide with Makhmudov later this year, there is equally a chance that he might choose to face former world heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr instead.
Taking to Instagram earlier this week, Fury shared a mocked up fight poster of himself and Ruiz, to which the American gave an assertive response.
“Let’s go.”
Ruiz has not fought since his draw with Jarrell Miller in August 2024, which came more than five years after his stunning upset victory over Anthony Joshua. After partnering back up with former Manny Robles, Ruiz has promised his inactivity will end this year.
Fury’s last outing, meanwhile, arrived via a second points defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, shortly before he announced his retirement which, rather predictably, was ended earlier this month.
