TYSON FURY’S COMEBACK OPPONENT REVEALED? WHY BRANDON MOORE’S NAME IS SUDDENLY TRENDING
Tyson Fury is back for 2026. With Anthony Joshua’s future uncertain after a tragic crash, Fury eyes Moore and Makhmudov. Read now.
Dmitriy Salita just put Brandon Moore’s name out there as a possible opponent for Tyson Fury’s comeback later this year.
Fury retired in January 2025 after losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk, but now he’s changed his mind.
The plan? Fury wants to ease back into the ring with a low-stakes fight early in 2026, then go for something bigger that summer.
Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh wanted to finally make the Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight happen this year. But after Joshua’s tragic car crash in Nigeria, which killed two of his close friends, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, nobody’s sure if AJ will keep fighting. His uncle even told the Nigerian press last month that Joshua might walk away from boxing. If that happens, Fury still has plenty of options for his 2026 fights.
Fury’s manager says they’re looking at a busy year, maybe three fights, and there’s talk about a WBO title bout with Fabio Wardley later in the year. Right now, a crowd of heavyweights is lining up for Fury’s return, and Brandon Moore is in the mix.
Salita, who promotes Moore, told Sky Sports, “Brandon Moore is the USBA Heavyweight Champ, coming off three wins against previously undefeated guys. He’s a legit American heavyweight—6'6", somewhere between 240 and 250 pounds, big, strong, and getting better all the time. Physically, he’s got that modern heavyweight look, kind of like Anthony Joshua, but he’s his own man. He wants to test himself at the top, and facing Tyson Fury is exactly that.”
So, who’s Brandon Moore? He’s got 19 wins, 10 by knockout, and just one loss. That loss came against U.S. Olympian Richard Torrez Jr., who stopped him in five rounds back in May 2024. Since then, Moore’s racked up five wins, though mostly against domestic-level guys.
But is Moore the favourite to face Fury? Honestly, right now it looks like Russian powerhouse Arslanbek Makhmudov is ahead in the race. Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, told iFL TV, “Tyson will fight anybody, even someone like Fabio Wardley. But look, he’s been out a year. He needs a fight to get going first.”
Brown added he’d love to see Fury’s first fight back happen in Manchester as a sort of homecoming. After that, there are plenty of options. Makhmudov’s definitely one of the top names being discussed. Brown said, “Makhmudov is one of the front-runners; yes, he’s an option.”
THE WALKOUT: UNCOVERING WHY DEONTAY WILDER STORMED OUT OF THE SIMON JORDAN INTERVIEW
Is Wilder finished? Analyse the O2 Arena heavyweight drama, Riley’s 13-0 streak, and the EBU title stakes on April 4.
Viddal Riley is getting a massive chance at the European title on the same night Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora square off in London.
Wilder and Chisora are set for a heavyweight clash on April 4 at the O2 Arena. The stakes couldn’t be higher; whoever walks away with the win lines themselves up for a shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s unified world title. For the loser, this could be the end of the road.
MF Pro is putting on the show, and they’ve just signed Riley, who’s now set to fight on the undercard. He’s taking on EBU European champion Mateusz Masternak in what’s easily the biggest test of his career so far. Riley just grabbed the British title, and now he’s eyeing a second belt in a row.
The EBU ordered the fight, and it’s Riley’s big chance to prove he belongs at the top. Here’s how he put it: “It’s a new dawn. It’s a new chapter. MF PRO is the start of something fresh for me, and what better way to kick things off than with a real challenge? I’ve decided to go after a seasoned veteran and former world title contender for his EBU Cruiserweight belt. This fight means everything for my climb toward world honours. I know it’s a tough test, but I’m ready to shine.”
He’s pumped about the main event, too: “Chisora vs Wilder is a huge night, and I can’t wait to show what I can do for my new promoters, who are really backing me.”
Riley’s undefeated in 13 fights, and he hasn’t missed a step. If he wins, he’s set to rocket up the world rankings. He’s already got a big following online, and a statement win here could really launch him into the spotlight.
With all eyes on Wilder vs Chisora, Riley’s fight gets an extra boost. This is supposed to be Chisora’s 50th and final bout, at least that’s what he says, and a win would send him out on a high in front of the home crowd. Wilder, on the other hand, needs to put on a show and prove he’s still got it at 40.
The hype is real; both fighters even got into it with talkSPORT host Simon Jordan. Things got heated, and at one point, Wilder stormed out after a grilling about Tyson Fury. The drama’s building, and April 4 is shaping up to be a wild night for British boxing.
THE MMA PIVOT: WHY ANTHONY JOSHUA IS TRAINING WITH KHABIB AFTER NIGERIA TRAGEDY
Anthony Joshua's boxing career is in doubt: Read Eddie Hearn's update on the Fury fight and Islam Makhachev's Dagestan invitation.
People are starting to wonder if Anthony Joshua could swap boxing for MMA and really shake things up. Right now, he’s still recovering after a terrible car crash in Nigeria last December that killed two of his close friends. He’s back to some light training, but the comeback is slow. Lately, he was spotted at a PFL MMA event in Dubai, just hanging out backstage with Khabib Nurmagomedov, which got people talking even more.
Islam Makhachev, who took over from Khabib in the UFC, seems to think Joshua could actually pull it off. “He showed me and said, ‘I want to make T-shirts,’” Makhachev told Arena Fight TV. “I told him, ‘Okay, I’ll help you with that, but you have to come to Dagestan and work on your wrestling.’ This guy is huge and already one of the best boxers in the world. If he gets his wrestling up, just imagine how dangerous he’d be in MMA.”
Joshua was supposed to fight again in March and then go for a big September bout with Tyson Fury. But after the crash, everything changed. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, admitted, “Before this terrible incident, we were all set for March and then Fury. That’s obviously not happening now, and honestly, I can’t say if it ever will.”
Still, Hearn hasn’t given up hope. “In the next few weeks or months, he’ll probably ramp things up and get back into a proper training camp. There are no promises he’ll fight again, but I expect he will. He loves it, and in a way, it’s something that helps him carry the memory of his friends. Physically, what he’s been through was rough, maybe rougher than most people realise. He’s been working out, but he’s just not ready yet. It’s going to take some time before he’s truly back.”