Tyson Fury has come out of retirement and is looking for his next fight. A former sparring partner wants to fight him.
Fury, a former two-time world heavyweight champion, is aiming to box against the current holders of the Big Four title belts, Oleksandr Usyk or Fabio Wardley, later this year.
However, he has not boxed since 2024 and is expected to be the first to make his return fight, possibly in April.
Croatian heavyweight Agron Smakić has signed up to face Fury next.
Smakici has a winning record of 21-3 (19 wins) but is little known in the heavyweight division.
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After Fury announced his return to the ring this year, Sky Sports Boxing’s Andy Scott rates who is most likely to be the ‘Gypsy King”s first opponent
But Smakici is familiar with Fury. He was the man sparring with the heavyweight star when Fury was injured and his first fight with Usyk was postponed.
There is currently a rift between the former sparring partners.
“Anything is possible,” Sumakichi told Sky Sports. “I want to fight him.”
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“That was the biggest drama,” the Croatian said of the incident during sparring.
“And if he’s still a sausage, I’d like to beat him again,” Smakić added.
However, Smaxi cannot boast a competitive track record comparable to Fury. His most high-level fight was a 2023 European title fight against Ajit Kabayer, who is currently the interim WBC heavyweight titlist. Kabayer stopped him within three rounds.
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In contrast, Fury defeated Wladimir Klitschko in Germany in 2015 to become unified world champion. Fury’s return to the sport ended a thrilling trilogy with Deontay Wilder as WBC heavyweight world champion.
After headlining at both London’s Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he battled Usyk for the undisputed championship. An injury sustained during practice with Smakić hampered his preparation for the first fight, but he was unable to get the better of Usyk in their 2024 rematch.
In early 2025, Fury announced that he would retire from boxing. However, that determination did not last long.
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Fury began an extreme training schedule, including sprinting across a field while tied to a log. Video provided by: @tysonfury
“I’ve been away for a while, but now I’m back. I’m 37 years old and I’m still punching,” Fury declared. “There’s nothing better than punching a man in the face and getting paid for it.
“Now I’m back to normal and I’m going to come back for revenge.
“I want you back to boxing, I want you to get everything back, and I’m off.”
