TYSON FURY HITS 18ST 11LB TARGET WEIGHT FOR APRIL 11 COMEBACK
Tyson Fury hits his 263lb target weight for the April 11 Netflix comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov after a 13-month hiatus.
Tyson Fury says he’s already hit his target weight, even with weeks to go before his big comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov.
The ‘Gipsy King’ has been out in Thailand lately, kicking off his training camp and getting back in the groove. He walked away from boxing after dropping two straight fights to Oleksandr Usyk, but that retirement didn’t last long. Now he’s looking at a busy 2026, ready to jump right back in.
First up: Makhmudov on April 11. The fight might land in Manchester, but wherever it happens, Fury’s hyped. He’s been stoking the buzz, sharing peeks at his training, and letting fans watch his journey in real time.
So, when he stepped on the scales and saw the number, he didn’t hold back. “Already on weight nine weeks out,” he wrote. “I’m seriously going to smash Arslanbek Makhmudov.” The scale read 18 stone 11 pounds—263 pounds. That’s 18 pounds lighter than he weighed for his second fight with Usyk back in December 2024.
For that rematch, Fury came in at a career-high 281 pounds. He gave Usyk a real challenge, but the judges edged it to the Ukrainian. After those fights, people started raising eyebrows. Even in some training clips, fans and boxing folks worried about how heavy and sluggish he looked.
But now? You can tell he’s grinding. He’s pushing to get back in shape and take another shot at the heavyweight division.
The training setup looks different, too. Fury’s been working with Sugar Hill Steward during his losses to Usyk, but now, it sounds like his dad, John Fury, is stepping in to take charge.
John isn’t shy about it. He wants to make sure Tyson stops obsessing over the technical side and gets his body right. “I am going to be more involved this time,” he said. “And hear this, Tyson’s going to win the heavyweight championship for the third time, and you can bank your fucking money on that!
“He’s not in fantastic shape; that’s bull****. But he will be. Have another look at him, because when I go out in the next week, there will be no more of this internet bull****, every move on the internet. Head down, work, and get a body. Learn to move again. Learn to twist and be awkward. Herky-jerky.
“If it is fat, it matters. Anybody will tell you that. But listen, we know where we are going. I know where he went wrong. I know. And we are going to put it right.”
NEW ERA: JON JONES EYES MVP JUMP AS UFC RELATIONSHIP HITS BREAKING POINT
Jon Jones hits back at the UFC, demanding his contract be terminated to pursue new opportunities at Most Valuable Promotions.
Jake Paul says he’s ready to promote Jon Jones if Dana White lets him walk away from the UFC.
Jones wanted a spot on the big UFC White House card in June. He hinted that the promotion even reached out about an appearance. Most people thought they’d finally line him up against Alex Pereira, who just moved up to heavyweight, but Pereira’s fighting Cyril Gane instead.
Then Dana White went public, basically saying Jones is done with the UFC and retired from MMA. That didn’t sit well with Jones. He fired back, demanding a release so he could look at other opportunities.
If he gets out of that ironclad contract, Jake Paul’s new MMA project with Most Valuable Promotions is a real option. Paul’s already signed Jones’ long-time rival, Francis Ngannou, who’s set to fight Philipe Lins on their debut card in May. Now, Paul says he’d happily work with Jones too.
At a press conference, Paul put it out there: “Jon, you’re always welcome to come over to MVP. We’ll get it popping, and we’ll get you paid what you deserve.”
Honestly, Paul trying to lure Jones over feels possible, especially since Jones has wanted to fight Ngannou for years. The fight has been teased both inside and outside the UFC, but it has never materialised.
Paul’s clearly gunning to shake up the UFC’s grip on MMA, so who knows, an offer to Jones could be coming soon.
But can Jones actually fight again? Lately, he’s talked about hip problems that have made people doubt his future. He hasn’t fought since defending his title in November 2024 against Stipe Miocic. Still, he says the injury won’t stop him.
On social media, Jones said, “Yeah, I’ve got arthritis in my hip, and it hurts, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight. So let me get this straight: if I took the lowball offer, my hip would magically be fine, and I’d be on the White House card? That makes no sense. I even got stem cell treatment last week to be ready, and training camp was supposed to start today. I was getting prepared. If the UFC really thinks I’m finished, I’m asking to be released from my contract right now. No more spin, no more games. Thanks to the real fans who get it.”
REVENGE MISSION: EDDIE HEARN SIGNS UFC CHAMP TOM ASPINALL AFTER LOSING CONOR BENN
Eddie Hearn strikes back: Read about Tom Aspinall signing with Matchroom, Conor Benn’s $15M Zuffa deal, and the Dana White rivalry.
Dana White, the boss at UFC and the man behind Zuffa Boxing, just snagged Conor Benn away from Eddie Hearn. Although if we’re being honest, Benn did a lot of the heavy lifting himself with that $15 million price tag.
White was quick to celebrate, maybe a little too loudly, especially on the UFC side, but Hearn didn’t let him have the spotlight for long. Not even a week later, Hearn fired back by announcing he’d signed UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall to the Matchroom Talent Agency.
This back-and-forth between Hearn and White is turning into one of the more interesting rivalries in combat sports right now.
Zuffa Boxing’s move to grab Benn for a one-fight, $15 million deal definitely made waves. Benn, after all, spent ten years fighting under Hearn’s banner before jumping ship. Hearn hasn’t been shy about how much the move stings, especially since he’s been trading barbs with White nonstop.
But Hearn’s not just sitting around feeling sorry for himself. He went public on Instagram, welcoming Aspinall to the Matchroom squad. “Welcome to the team, UFC Heavyweight Champ @tomaspinallofficial,” Hearn posted. “Time to get what’s yours @matchroomtalentagency.”
It’s just the latest shot in their ongoing feud. White’s been out there calling Hearn soft for getting emotional about Benn leaving. Hearn, never one to back down, fired back in an interview, saying White doesn’t care about his fighters at all.
“I hear people’s comments, like Dana White calling me names and Terence Crawford asking if I actually care about these guys,” Hearn said. “I’m not saying I’m perfect, but we’re not like Dana White and his crew. They don’t give a damn about the fighters.
“Have you ever seen Dana White show any emotion when someone wins? He just hands over the belt, does a press conference, then heads home to his mansion with a cigar and a glass of whisky, thinking, ‘Life is sweet; we just made $800 million this year.’”
So what do you think about Tom Aspinall teaming up with Hearn’s agency? Is this a good move for Aspinall, or is it going to cause problems down the line? Let’s hear your thoughts.
