Promoter Frank Warren says Tyson Fury will target arch-rival Oleksandr Usyk after his return fight.
Fury will return to boxing and face Arslanbek Makhmudov in England on April 11th.
After losing twice to Usyk in 2024, Fury announced his retirement early last year. He now has ambitions to turn that around and become a three-time world champion.
Although Usyk gave up the WBO belt, he still holds the unified WBC, IBF and WBA world heavyweight titles. Fury would welcome a third straight fight against the Ukrainian.
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Arslanbek Makhmudov admits there are ‘flaws’ in his game but insists he believes he can pull off a major upset over Tyson Fury
“He wants to be the best, that’s what he’s always been. He said he wants to fight Usyk again,” Warren told Sky Sports News.
“Tyson is a fighting guy. He loves it. When he goes to the gym and gets into serious training, he wants to see the end result. And the end result for him is fighting.”
“For me, he doesn’t need to fight. He solidified his legacy. But he continues to fight and will be a great addition to the heavyweight scene. He’s a great personality. The crowd will be rooting for him. This is a big, big moment in his career.”
Warren added: “If he’s going to come back, I’d rather he come back now than in four or five years, when his authority will probably be diminished.”
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Tyson Fury announces his return to the ring on Instagram, confirming fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April
Now that Wardley is a WBO heavyweight titlist, Fury will have options other than Usyk.
Warren said: “It’s a good fight. Fabio will box at the end of April or early May. He will announce who he will fight.”
“This heavyweight division is on fire. It’s on fire. We’ve got some great fights. Moses (Itauma) faces America’s Jermaine Franklin on March 28th. It’s a big, big fight. He’s looking for the next big match.”
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Sky Sports’ Andy Scott explains why Tyson Fury is coming out of retirement and provides insight into his opponent Arslanbek Mahmudov
Fury must first clear the big hurdle of April opponent Mahmudov at 260 pounds. “For me, this is a tough, tough comeback fight. He came right back,” Warren said.
“By the time this fight comes around, he’s been out of the ring for about two years. He’s made it very clear that he wants to fight this year and wants a big fight. And he’s a big guy, a guy with a good knockout percentage.”
“This is a tough comeback for him, but if he gets through this, we’ll see where we go.”
Watch Caroline Dubois vs Terry Harper live on Sky Sports on April 5th.
