Tyson Fury has declared that he will only fight Anthony Joshua next, or he will retire, after outclassing Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday night. Speaking after his victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fury expressed frustration that the long-awaited showdown with his British rival has still not been finalised.
“It’s either him or I’m out,” Fury said. “Ten years in the making and still, after all this time, there’s uncertainty if this fight’s gonna happen next. I’ve no idea. I hope so but you can’t force someone to do something.” Joshua was ringside but initially refused to commit to the fight, citing the need for more time to recover from a car crash in Nigeria four months ago that killed two of his close friends.
When Joshua finally spoke, he told Fury: “I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years. You tell me your terms and conditions and I’ll have you in the ring when I’m ready. I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord. Contracts are being sent over and you’ll probably see us in the ring next, more than likely.” He even suggested Fury could be a “warmup fight” based on what he saw of Fury’s performance.
Fury, who had not heard Joshua’s comments, remained sceptical. “He didn’t look like he wanted it. He was shell-shocked,” Fury said. Both fighters are in their mid-30s and have suffered recent defeats—Fury lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk, while Joshua was crushed by Daniel Dubois in September 2024. Fury dismissed the idea of a warmup fight for Joshua, saying: “Let’s get it on. He’s 36. I’m 37. What’s the holdup?”
Fury also ruled out challenging the winner of next month’s WBO title fight between Fabio Wardley and Dubois, insisting only Joshua matters. “What have I got to prove against some schoolboys in the division? I want to fight Anthony Joshua, the same age as me, two British boxing legends. Let’s fucking fight,” he said.
