Tyson Fury has confirmed the news all boxing fans knew was coming — he will return to the ring in 2026.
Having announced his retirement following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, ‘The Gypsy King’ did not fight last year at all. The heavyweight division continued to move forward, but many missed the spectacle Fury brings.
With his comeback now official, talk turns to who he may face, with the general consensus being a relative tune-up fight before targetting one of the bigger names.
Early talk has suggested Russian powerhouse Arslanbek Makhmudov is firmly in the frame for fight number one this year, and Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, told Box Nation it makes sense.
“I agree with that [it makes sense] … [Tyson] is a very intelligent guy. He knows what he wants to do and how to get there. Of course there’s a discussion over opponents and so forth, but he’s not stupid … We may do that [Makhmudov fight].”
Makhmudov was last out with a points win over Dave Allen. The 6′ 5½″ bruiser has lost just twice to Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello.
As talks continue behind the scenes and Fury plugs away in the gym, he has also been putting his name out there for a bigger fight towards the end of the year, with champions Fabio Wardley and Usyk firmly in his sights.
Talks for a long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua are likely to be put on hold given ‘AJ’s involvement in a fatal car crash in Nigeria which caused the tragic deaths of two of his closest friends and teammates, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami.
