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ANTHONY JOSHUA VS RUSSIAN POWERHOUSE CONFIRMED FOR 2026 SHOWDOWN

Heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov claims he has agreed to fight Anthony Joshua "next year." The Russian contender says the deal was made over Instagram, pending his own fight this weekend.

Anthony Joshua vs Russian powerhouse confirmed for 2026 showdown
Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua is making a comeback to boxing, and a new opponent has entered the fray.

Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been linked to a number of possible bouts in his upcoming comeback to competition, including a historic journey to Africa.

Additionally, the Watford native has been urged to spoil Oleksandr Usyk's comeback above all else, as a long list of competitors are eager to welcome Joshua back to the ring for the first time in more than a year.

But putting a possible matchup with Tyson Fury on the line, a tall Russian celebrity has challenged Joshua, saying he has already committed to fight the Olympian next year.

Arslanbek Makhmudov announces his decision to take on Anthony Joshua.

Arslanbek Makhmudov, a 6' 5in heavyweight prodigy, has entered the draw to face Joshua after being assigned to defeat British veteran Dave Allen in a main event this weekend in Sheffield.

Standing taller than his opponent from Doncaster before their matchup, Makhmudov and Allen are predicted to face another previous world champion in a huge matchup, whichever wins their crucial matchup.

But in yet another turn of events surrounding Joshua's comeback, Makhmudov has stated that he has already been approached about a fight with the Watford star, which he has consented to accept if he defeats Allen.

In an interview with Boxing News, Makhmudov mentioned a bout with Joshua, saying, "Yeah, we just spoke a little bit on Instagram." Simply being friendly, you know. He answered, "All right, next year," when I offered him the next fight. We can do it next year.

Makhmudov clarified, "I think the battle is exciting because it is a fantastic opportunity." Additionally, in sports, we had a little story in the amateurs. He lost to competitors in the European and World Championships; I defeated these two men. It is intriguing to me.

Anthony Joshua has been called up for Nigeria's fight with his former sparring partner.

Joshua also keeps getting connected to another couple with a name he knows from his background, even though he agreed to face Makhmudov—albeit by text.

Joshua was first linked to a fight in Ghana, but in recent days, a Nigerian event, including the former world champion, has been proposed to make a historic journey to Africa in early 2026.

After recovering from his crushing defeat to Joseph Parker, Congolese heavyweight sensation Martin Bakole, Joshua's old training partner, has also indicated interest in taking on his former sparring opponent.

GERVONTA DAVIS ARRESTED IN MIAMI ON BATTERY, KIDNAPPING, AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT CHARGES

Gervonta Davis is in custody after a two-week manhunt. Facing kidnapping charges, the star has been stripped of his WBA title.

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Gervonta Davis was arrested in Miami for kidnapping

Gervonta Davis, who’s a three-division world champ and one of boxing’s biggest names, landed in jail Wednesday in Miami—almost two weeks after police put out a warrant for his arrest. They’re accusing him of battery, false imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping tied to an alleged domestic violence incident from last fall.

Police in Miami Gardens said they tracked Davis for several days across three counties, working with the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force. When they caught up with him in Miami’s Design District, he didn’t put up a fight. They booked him into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centre late Wednesday.

Cops say all this goes back to something that happened on October 27 at a strip club in Miami Gardens. The woman at the centre of the case used to date Davis and was working there as a VIP cocktail server that night. Police claim Davis confronted her inside, forced her into a back room, assaulted her, then kept her restrained before taking her outside.

In the report, police say Davis grabbed her by the hair and throat, threatened her, and led her out to the parking lot, where he finally let her go. She found coworkers, got help, and called the police. Officers say she had visible bruises on her arm.

She told investigators she met Davis back in 2022. They dated for a few months in 2025, but she broke things off about a month before the incident and had stopped talking to him.

Besides going to the police, she also filed a civil lawsuit against Davis for battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. Her attorney said the police investigation lines up with what she claimed in her suit.

“The investigation led to a judge signing off on the arrest warrant,” her attorney said back in January. “That matches the allegations in the lawsuit.”

Court records show her lawyers tried over and over to serve Davis with the lawsuit, but couldn’t find him for weeks.

At a press conference on January 14, Miami Gardens police called it a domestic violence case and said they were working with federal agents to track Davis down. When asked for more details Wednesday night, police said they couldn’t share anything else because the case is still active.

Last fall, Davis was in Miami training for a big fight with influencer Jake Paul, set for November at Kaseya Centre. Once the lawsuit hit the news, Davis was taken off the card, and Anthony Joshua stepped in. Davis last fought in March, when he held onto his WBA lightweight title after a controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr in Brooklyn.

But over the weekend, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza announced they stripped Davis of the title, pointing to the legal case and his long absence from the ring. Davis has only defended the title twice in three years—most recently against Roach, which was more than ten months ago—and he doesn’t have another fight lined up.

This isn’t Davis’s first run-in with the law. He’s had several domestic violence allegations in Florida and elsewhere, though many were later dropped. In 2023, he got three years’ probation and some house arrest for a hit-and-run in Baltimore.

Right now, it’s not clear if these new Florida charges will mess with his probation in Maryland or delay any future fights. Jail and court records didn’t say when he’ll first appear in court in Miami-Dade.

Miami Gardens police say their investigation is still going and aren’t commenting further.

OFFICIAL: TYSON FURY TO FIGHT ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV LIVE ON NETFLIX APRIL 11

Tyson Fury is back! The "Gypsy King" ends his retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 in Netflix's first live UK show.

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Tyson Fury ends retirement for historic UK homecoming

Netflix keeps pushing deeper into the sports world, and boxing is turning out to be a real crowd-pleaser. Now, on April 11, they’re gearing up for another big night: Tyson Fury is stepping out of retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov. It’s not just another fight—this will be Netflix’s first-ever live event in the UK.

Fury seems pumped. “Excited to be back,” he said in a statement. “Heart’s always been and always will be in boxing. Someone go tell the king that the ace is back!” The last time he fought was back in December 2024, but you can tell he still feels right at home in the ring.

Gabe Spitzer, who handles sports at Netflix, is just as thrilled. He called Fury one of the most resilient and fascinating fighters of his generation. “His career is all about beating the odds, and there’s just something electric about watching him fight,” Spitzer said. “We can’t wait to see him back for this homecoming, and we love giving our members a front-row seat to the next chapter of the Gypsy King’s story.”

The event’s getting the royal treatment too—Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman, Turki Alalshikh, is presenting, along with Sela and The Ring. Alalshikh’s name comes up a lot in combat sports these days. Saudi Arabia keeps landing some of the sport’s biggest fights, and the country even helped launch the Zuffa Boxing promotion with TKO.

“We’re happy Tyson decided to come out of retirement for what should be an exciting heavyweight clash against Makhmudov,” Alalshikh said.

Fury hasn’t fought since those back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, but his name still draws a crowd. A comeback fight in the UK—his home turf, where he hasn’t fought since 2022—only adds to the buzz.

For Netflix, Fury vs. Makhmudov is another notch in their belt. Last year, they pulled in huge numbers with several boxing shows, especially the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight in December. That one alone racked up over 33 million views around the world. Clearly, Netflix is betting big on boxing, and fans seem happy to watch.

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