Tyson Fury keeps trying to quit boxing. But of course, just when he’s out, it pulls him back in.
Fury insists he never intended to return to boxing. Nevertheless, his brief retirement will end on April 11 when he takes on Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
At the start of 2025, still reeling from his two losses to Oleksandr Usyk, Fury announced he was done with the sport.
It is by no means the first time Fury has backed out and then reversed course, but he is adamant it was not pre-planned.
He traveled in Thailand at the end of last year, he stepped up his training and the events took their own momentum. He is still in Thailand, only now deep in camp for a match that is three weeks away.
This return, he maintains, was not inevitable. It was on impulse.
“It’s good to be back,” Fury shared Sky Sports. “I only came to Thailand for a Christmas vacation with my family. I was still retired when I came here. I had no intention of making a comeback. The sunshine brought me back.
“I felt so good that I thought I’d just come into camp over here, train here and get a game. And that’s exactly what I did. I had no intention of making a comeback when I came here in December, no, I was happily retired,” he continued.
“And then sunshine, some training and one thing led to another and next thing I’ve signed a massive contract.
“The next one is at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the world is going to see it.”
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Fury says he will not have a trainer for his upcoming comeback fight against Makhmudov
Returning to the ring in front of a raucous crowd is hard to shake, even for a former two-time world heavyweight champion.
“You can’t beat that, can you? It’s four years since I was last at Tottenham, when I was last in Britain and did a game, four years. I’m looking forward to getting back there and enjoying some of that atmosphere,” Fury said.
“There’s nothing like a British football stadium to get you going.”
Makhmudov is a solid opponent, especially for a comeback fight. But Fury promises to be inspired on the night.
“All I can say is that Makmudov is in serious trouble,” Fury said. “He’s in trouble. Makhmudov is in trouble. He’s a tough man, he’s had a couple of losses like me and he’s had a lot of knockouts, 20 odd knockouts.
“We’re the same age, same size, same weight, similar record. I was world champion, he was No. 2 ranked when I was WBC champion. He was one of the fights I was actually offered. So now we’re actually doing it, so here we go.
“Let’s throw down. May the best man win.”