Tyson Fury returns to the ring on Saturday night to face Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marking his latest comeback after retiring for the fifth time in January 2025. The Gypsy King, 37, cited his love for boxing and the routine it provides to manage his bipolar disorder as reasons for returning. ‘Boxing is the only thing that gives me purpose,’ he said.
Fury has lost his past two fights to Oleksandr Usyk, and the heavyweight landscape has shifted during his year-long absence. His British contemporary Anthony Joshua was defeated by Daniel Dubois in September 2024, while Deontay Wilder won a crude brawl against Derek Chisora last weekend. Fury acknowledged the decline of his peers, saying: ‘Age waits for nobody.’
The fight against Makhmudov is seen as a relatively easy test for Fury, who in his prime operated at a far higher level than the Russian. Makhmudov, a hard hitter from Dagestan, has been stopped twice before and is slow and suspect against body punchers. Fury should have too much speed and ringcraft.
Usyk remains the exception among the old guard, now supreme and running out of opponents. He will defend his WBC title against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven next month. Fury has spoken of wanting a trilogy fight with Usyk but may prefer a less challenging, more lucrative bout against Joshua. However, such a contest would lack the intrigue of the younger fight between Fabio Wardley and Dubois on 9 May.
