Tyson Fury’s highly anticipated return to the ring has been confirmed.
The former WBC heavyweight champion stepped away from professional boxing in January 2025 following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. Those two losses, which came in fiercely competitive world title fights, left ‘The Gypsy King’ disillusioned with the sport, though most fans expected a u-turn.
That happened last month, when Fury revealed that he was back in training and preparing for a relative tune-up fight before targeting the top dogs, be that Usyk again, Anthony Joshua, or Fabio Wardley.
His opponent for this comeback fight, Arslanbek Makhmudov, brings formidable power and size to the matchup. The towering Russian heavyweight beat Dave Allen last time out, but has fallen short to both Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello.
Fury’s decision to partner with Netflix for the broadcast reflects the growing trend of major boxing events moving beyond traditional pay-per-view models, promising global reach and fan engagement on an unprecedented scale. He is currently filming a documentary with the streaming giant. The fight will top a Ring Magazine card in the UK, with a venue yet to be confirmed.
Alongside the announcement, Fury said:
“Excited to be back. Heart’s always been and always will be in boxing. Someone go tell the king that the ace is back.”
That king is undoubtedly Usyk, who, though he vacated one belt that is now held by Wardley, is the clear top man in the division. The Ukrainian recently said he would entertain a trilogy fight should undisputed be on the line again.
