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Tyson Fury is to make his comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 in a fight that will be screened on Netflix.
Fury announced his retirement a year ago in the wake of successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk but has been training in Thailand ahead of his return to the ring.
A venue has yet to be announced for the fight but it will take place in the UK, making it Fury’s first contest on these shores since he overcame Derek Chisora in 2022.
“Well it’s official I’m back doing what I [heart emoji] to do,” Fury posted on Instagram. “I’ve brought the biggest network along with me. Netflix, this is going to be astronomical. Blessed by God.”
Fury added: “Excited to be back. Heart’s always been and always will be in boxing. Someone go tell the king that the ace is back!”
The Russian-born Makhmudov is a 6ft 6in Canada-based fighter who boasts a 19-23 record and strengthened his credentials by dominating Britain’s Dave Allen in his most recent fight. “I am thrilled about the opportunity,” Makhmudov said. “I’m coming to deliver a war. Tyson Fury has been a big champion. I will be more ready than ever to leave with a massive W.”
Earlier this month, Fury announced he would return to boxing in 2026, nearly a year after his latest retirement from the ring. “Been away for a while but I’m back now, 37 years old and still punching. Nothing better to do than punch men in the face and get paid for it.”
The British boxer’s career has so far brought 34 wins in 37 fights and two stints as a world champion. Fury had been expected to build towards a long-awaited fight against fellow Anthony Joshua, but the British former heavyweight champion’s future is uncertain after a car crash in December, in Nigeria, in which two of his close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele were killed.
It will be former two-time world heavyweight champion Fury’s first fight on Netflix, although last year he completed filming of the second season of At Home with the Furies that will be released by the streaming giants in the spring. He follows in the footsteps of Joshua, who made his Netflix debut when he overwhelmed YouTube star Jake Paul in six rounds Miami in December.
Joshua has returned to light training, but there is uncertainty over his future with promoter Eddie Hearn stating that he will not be rushed into making a comeback.
The WBO champion Fabio Wardley, who upgraded his ‘interim’ title when Usyk vacated instead of making a mandatory defence, is another option, with Fury open to a summer showdown with his British rival. Fury has outlined his plan to fight three times this year as he looks to become a major force in the division once more.
Pound-for-pound contender Usyk is the current heavyweight king after twice becoming undisputed champion, first by toppling Fury in May 2024 and then by overcoming Daniel Dubois in July last year. The 39-year-old Ukrainian great gave up the IBF and then WBO belts after those victories and remains the only fighter to have beaten Fury, who has enjoyed two spells as world champion since outpointing Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
