Tyson Fury is back in the ring and already looking ahead, with the long-delayed all-British showdown against Anthony Joshua once again taking center stage.
Fury returns from yet another retirement on Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he faces dangerous puncher Arslanbek Makhmudov in his first fight since a December 2024 defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. But even before the opening bell, the 37-year-old is plotting his next move.
If he gets through the weekend, Fury wants Anthony Joshua next, no more delays, no more detours.
“I’ve got Makhmudov to think about, but all going well, Joshua is the fight I want next,” Fury said. “Let’s do it straight away.”
The fight has hovered over British boxing for more than a decade, repeatedly collapsing at the final hurdle. Now, with both men in the twilight of their careers, Fury is urging urgency, wary of how quickly fortunes can shift in the heavyweight division.
“This fight was supposed to happen so many times,” he said. “One more fight in between, someone gets knocked out or injured, and it’s gone again. In this division, nothing is guaranteed.”
Joshua, 36, has rebuilt momentum after stopping Jake Paul with a brutal sixth-round knockout in December. Days later, however, his career was overshadowed by tragedy, surviving a car accident in Nigeria that killed two close friends. He has since returned to training, signaling a renewed push toward the sport’s biggest fights.
Fury is not interested in alternatives. Not even a resurgent Deontay Wilder, who edged Derek Chisora in a split decision last weekend, has caught his attention.
“I’ve never seen two men slide as much,” Fury said of that bout. “Forget Wilder. I want Joshua.”
It is a rivalry that has simmered for years, fueled by near-misses and shifting circumstances. Fury insists the timing must finally align.
“I’ve been out of the ring 16 months,” he said. “Let’s do it. Let’s dance.”
Even the noise outside the ropes has done little to distract him. Whether Joshua attends Saturday’s fight remains uncertain. Fury’s father, John Fury, may also be absent after publicly urging his son to retire, claiming the former champion is past his peak.
Fury shrugs it off.
“I’ve got business to take care of,” he said. “Who’s in the crowd doesn’t matter.”
