Tyson Fury shares last-minute issues for Arslanbek Makhmudov combat
Tyson Fury returns from retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday night in a 12-round heavyweight bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tyson Fury is making his boxing comeback this weekend(Image: (Richard Pelham/Getty Images for Netflix))
Tyson Fury has hinted he might be having last-minute reservations about his return to the ring this weekend. The former two-time world heavyweight champion retired after his second successive loss to Oleksandr Usyk at the end of 2024.
Fury then went a calendar year without a fight before announcing his latest comeback on January 4. He will step back into the ring on Saturday night to face Arslanbek Makhmudov in a bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which will be broadcast live on Netflix.
But the Gypsy King appears to be grappling with some pre-fight nerves just days before his return to the ring after watching Deontay Wilder’s clash with Derek Chisora. The two veterans traded leather in a bonkers and scrappy fight at the O2 Arena on Saturday night, with Wilder going on to score a split decision win.
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“By the time the fight comes around on Saturday, I’d have been out of the ring 16 months,” Fury told the InsideRingShow.
“And at 37 years old, 16 months is a long time, so I have a little bit of stuff to do and to think about in my own mind and see how I am.
“After watching Deontay and Chisora fight, it was hard to watch for me. It was sad, it was heartbreaking, and I’ve never seen two men slide as much as them two in my life.
“And I’m thinking, am I f****** next? Is this me? So I said to the boys, I said, ‘If I’m even 10 per cent as bad as those guys in my fight, take me out to the field and shoot me.'”
While in a separate interview with Ring Magazine, Fury revealed he has told his team that he wants them to speak up if he shows any signs of being past it against Makhmudov.
“I said to the boys, ‘If I’m even 10 per cent as bad as those guys in my fight, take me out to the field and shoot me. Put me out to pasture,’” he said.
“By the time the fight comes around on Saturday, I’ll have been out the ring 16 months. At 37 years old, 16 months is a long time. I have a little bit of stuff to think about in my own mind and see how I am.”
Fury then added: “I just want to get as many big fights as I can at this stage of my career. I’ve won every belt there is, I’ve completed the game of boxing.
Watch Fury vs Makhmudov with free Netflix subscription
Tyson Fury has come out of retirement to face Russian boxer Arslanbek Makhmudov in a heavyweight clash in London on April 11. The fight will stream live on Netflix, which fans can get for free with Sky’s £15 Essential TV bundle or £24 Ultimate TV bundle, the latter of which also includes HBO Max and Disney+.
