ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV EMERGES AS FRONTRUNNER FOR TYSON FURY’S SUMMER RETURN
Tyson Fury is back! The "Gypsy King" confirms his 2026 return from Thailand, firing back at body shamers and eyeing Makhmudov.
Tyson Fury wants back in the ring—and soon. He’s aiming to fight again within the next three months.
Earlier this year, Fury said he was done with boxing after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. But just six months later, he flipped the script and announced he’s coming back, eyeing a fight in 2026. Fans were caught off guard, but honestly, that’s classic Fury.
Right now, he’s in Thailand, grinding away in training. He’s even been working out with Kevin Lerena, the current WBC bridgerweight champ. As Fury ramps up for his return, critics on social media haven’t held back, taking shots at his physique every chance they get.
But Fury isn’t the type to ignore the noise. He jumped on Instagram Friday morning to talk about his comeback—and to fire back at the haters. “Real talk. I’m dead serious about coming back. I’m the uncrowned king. 2026 is the return of the MAC,” he posted. Then he added, “Just chilling before my second session today.”
He’s not taking this lightly. “I’ve seen the comments. People are saying I look big, chubby, and fat. Welcome to my world. I’ve always had a belly. Beat everyone with it. Never made a difference before, so why should it now?” he said, brushing off the trolls. “I’m at about 20 stone right now; maybe I’ll drop under 19 for the comeback. I feel loose, fast, and excited. It’s been a while, but I’m back. Took a year off, and if I fight in the first quarter, I’ll have been out nearly 16 months. That’s a long break for a 37-year-old—turning 38 this year. Let’s see if I’ve still got it.”
With Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh making waves in the sport, people started speculating about Fury’s motives. He set the record straight in another post, saying money isn’t what’s driving him. “I’ve won everything—regional belts, world titles, Fighter of the Year twice, Ring Magazine twice, WBC, you name it. There’s nothing left for me except the fight itself. I love this sport. Money’s not it, though I still want a good deal. It’s about the love of boxing. I’m almost 38, older than dirt, but fighting is all I care about. I’ve got no other interests.”
He didn’t stop there. “I was born to fight. It’s my destiny. At the end of it, I’ll probably end up in a wheelchair like the rest, not knowing what day it is, but that’s the life I chose. We’re not stopping. We’re not leaving.”
Now, Fury’s gearing up for a comeback fight this summer. Arslanbek Makhmudov, the 6’6” heavyweight who last fought David Allen in October, looks like a real possibility for his opponent. Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, seems on board. Talking to Box Nation, he said, “Tyson’s smart. He knows what he wants and how to get there. We’re discussing opponents, but he knows exactly what’s up. Maybe we’ll do the Makhmudov fight.”
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
