TYSON FURY
TYSON FURY says he’s back to make boxing great again, and whether you roll your eyes or not, he’s making noise. The former heavyweight champion, 34-2-1 with 24 knockouts, returns April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London against Arslanbek Makhmudov, 21-2 with 19 KOs. The bout, promoted by Ring Magazine and streamed live on Netflix, marks Fury’s first appearance since his second straight loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.
Makhmudov, a Russian heavyweight based in Montreal, has built his career on size, pressure, and raw power. At 6-foot-6 with a long reach, the orthodox puncher known as “Lion” turned pro in 2017 and tore through much of his early opposition. He collected regional hardware, including the WBC Silver and WBA Inter-Continental titles, and earned a reputation as a finisher. Losses to Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello slowed his climb, exposing defensive holes against mobile, disciplined heavyweights, but in this division power always travels, and Makhmudov brings plenty of it.
With more than twenty professional fights and a knockout-heavy résumé, Makhmudov remains a physical threat capable of changing a fight with one clean right hand. That alone makes him a dangerous comeback opponent for Fury, who turns 37 and insists the sport has lacked spark in his absence.
After announcing his retirement in January 2025 and spending more than a year out of the ring, Fury says the itch never really left. “I came back for one reason only, to make boxing great again,” he said at Monday’s news conference. “Since I stopped boxing a year ago, boxing for me has gone on a downward slope. It’s become quite boring.”
Never short on confidence, Fury added that boxing reaches its peak when he’s active, joking that even artificial intelligence would agree. He pointed to the scale of his return, a 60,000-seat stadium and the backing of Netflix, promising spectacle along with fists. He admitted he enjoyed retirement, filming the second season of “At Home with the Furys,” traveling with family, living the good life, but said the fight game is still his real work.
Fury also made clear he’s chasing history. He wants to become a three-time heavyweight world champion, joining Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, and Lennox Lewis in that exclusive club. At the podium he looked energized, sharp, and fully in character.
“I’m looking to put on a show,” Fury said. “I want an explosive knockout and I believe I’m going to get that. April 11, I’m going to knock him spark out.”
He admitted walking away with more left in the tank was never going to sit right. Even if he convinced himself he was done, the pull of boxing proved stronger. After a year away, Fury says he realized the sport isn’t just what he does, it’s who he is.
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