Tyson Fury has confirmed his return to boxing with a comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov.
The 37-year-old heavyweight boxer announced his retirement a year ago in the wake of successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury plans to fight three times this year and has been training in Thailand ahead of his return, which is set to take place in the UK on 11 April.
The fight, which will be screened on Netflix, will be Fury’s first contest in the UK since he overcame Derek Chisora in 2022.
Fury, who has enjoyed two spells as world champion since outpointing Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, said: “Excited to be back. Heart’s always been and always will be in boxing.
“Someone go tell the king that the ace is back!”
Makhmudov, a 36-year-old Russian based in Canada, most recently fought Doncaster’s Dave Allen in October when he secured a unanimous points decision.
He has won 21 of his 23 fights and has compiled 19 knockouts, but he was also stopped in his defeats by Guido Vianello and Agit Kabayel.
Makhmudov said he was “thrilled about the opportunity” and added that Fury “has been a big champion”.
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A long-awaited all-British showdown with Anthony Joshua had been talked up for 2026 until the 36-year-old from Watford was involved in a car crash in Nigeria on 29 December that killed his close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
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.
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WBO champion Fabio Wardley, who upgraded his ‘interim’ title when Usyk vacated instead of making a mandatory defence, is another option for Fury with the ‘Gypsy King’ open to a summer showdown with his British rival.
