Tyson Fury next fight: Former heavyweight champ returns to face Arslanbek Makhmudov

Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) will end his retirement and come back after more than a year away from the ring in a heavyweight bout with Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-2-0, 19 KOs) in the United Kingdom on April 11. Fury and The Ring made the announcement on Wednesday.

It will be Fury’s first fight in the UK since December 2022 when he defeated Derek Chisora for a third time. His last three fights all took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The former heavyweight champion has not fought since suffering a second consecutive loss to Oleksandr Usyk via unanimous decision on Dec. 24, 2024. Fury’s recent losses to Usyk are the only blemishes on his career record, and he will now return to the ring again at 37 years old to battle 36-year-old Makhmudov.

“Excited to be back,” Fury said in a release. “Heart’s always been and always will be in boxing. Someone go tell the king that the ace is back!” 

It will be the biggest fight of Makhmudov’s career to date, and he will be a heavy underdog against Fury even with the former champ’s lengthy absence from the ring. The Russian heavyweight is 3-2 in his last five fights, but his fights tend to promise action, as only two of his 23 career fights have gone the distance. 

“I am thrilled about the opportunity. I’m coming to deliver a War,” Makhmudov said in a statement. “Tyson Fury has been a big champion. I will be more ready than ever to leave with a massive W.” 

The fight will be broadcast by Netflix on Saturday, April 11, with the venue and full undercard still to be announced. 

Fury’s return to the ring isn’t a shock, as there were plans for he and Anthony Joshua to meet in the ring in 2026. Joshua’s future in boxing is still up in the air after sustaining injuries in a fatal car crash in Nigeria in late December, and it’s not clear if the mega-fight between he and Fury is still in the cards. 

At any rate, Fury is returning to action this spring and appears to be ramping up for a potential Joshua fight later in the year if the former champ returns to action or another pursuit of the heavyweight titles.