Tyson Fury will return to boxing in April to fight Russian giant Arslanbek Makhmudov – the man who trains for his fights by wrestling bears and taking sledgehammer shots to the gut.
‘The Gypsy King’ has not fought since his rematch defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last December. After a second successive defeat to the masterful Ukrainian, Fury announced his retirement from boxing – the fifth time he has made such a vow throughout his career.
As many might have expected, Fury announced his intentions to return to action at the start of the year and has now confirmed he will return to action 11 April in what will be his first fight on British soil in four years.
It will be the latest boxing showpiece to be streamed live on Netflix with the venue is to be announced in the coming weeks.
A long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua was once again on the cards for Fury 2026. But the devastating car crash in Nigeria that left Joshua with minor injuries and claimed to the lives of two of his close friends means his future in boxing is uncertain.
Makhmudov will instead welcome Fury back to action.
Makhmudov is one of the most fearsome-looking fighters operating in the heavyweight division, bludgeoning his way to 21 victories from 23 fights, beating another Brit in Dave Allen in October.
Standing at 6ft 5in with a monstrous bulging neck, Makhmudov is a terrifying prospect at a glance. Ahead of his fight against Allen, footage on his Instagram account showed the giant grappling with a bear, also having members of his team take turns hitting him in the stomach with sledgehammers as part of his conditioning training.
While certainly an imposing presence, Makhmudov has shown he can be vulnerable in the ring. He has lost two of his last five fights, stopped twice in the space of six months against Agit Kabyael and Guido Vianello, two fighters he was expected to beat.
‘Excited to be back. Heart’s always been and always will be in boxing. Someone go tell the king that the ace is back!’
Makhmudov said: ‘I am thrilled about the opportunity. I’m coming to deliver a War. Tyson Fury has been a big champion. I will be more ready than ever to leave with a massive W.’
Last year, former cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson advised Joshua to avoid a fight with the man they call ‘The Lion’, insisting a shock defeat would end the Briton’s career.
‘It is a risk,’ Nelson told Metro. ‘I don’t expect Joshua to be turned over by Makhmudov but if he were to get turned over by him then it’s over. There’s no excuse, it would be done.
‘Makhmudov has shown his levels, which is just above Dave Allen’s level. But below world title level. The problem with AJ and Fury is who they fight next. Because they are not the fighters they were. They are beatable.
‘There is still value to their name and value in fighting each other but they can’t accord to lose to anyone else. So they have to be smart.’