In an announcement that comes as a surprise to absolutely nobody, former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is returning to the boxing ring on Saturday, April 11, at a venue to be named later in the UK. What is a bit of a surprise is that he’ll make the return on Netflix worldwide.
Tyson Fury is coming home.
TYSON FURY vs. ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV. Saturday April 11 from the United Kingdom — and LIVE only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/ib7KjT3xIt
— Netflix (@netflix) January 28, 2026
Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) will return against Montreal-based, Russian-born heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KOs), who heads back into battle in the UK for the main event on a card presented by The Ring. Makhmudov is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
Fury has been out of the ring and allegedly “retired” for 15 months to pursue a third reign on top of the heavyweight division. As it was Fury’s sixth retirement announcement after returning after the previous five announcements, there was no one in the boxing universe who believed Fury would be able to resist the siren call of the bright lights and the ring.
Most observers looked forward to a long-delayed matchup between Fury and his UK rival, former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Those plans were thrown into disarray after Joshua was injured in an auto accident in December in Nigeria, killing two members of his training team.
In steps the WBA sixth-ranked challenger Makhmudov, seizing a golden opportunity for a big payday.
Ten Years Atop The Heavyweight Division for Tyson Fury
It was more than ten years ago, in November 2015, when Fury shocked long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko in Germany to become the unified heavyweight champion. Five years later in February 2020, the Gypsy King reclaimed the world title by stopping hard-hitting American Deontay Wilder. Fury and Wilder would fight twice more in an epic heavyweight trilogy.
Fury held the title until May 2024, when he lost a split decision to pound-for-pound great Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine. Fury lost his rematch with Usyk in December by unanimous decision and announced his retirement following the fight.
But here we are today, looking forward to the return of the bombastic show only Fury can deliver.
Mahkmudov Returns To The UK After Defeating Dave Allen
Makhmudov is not a stranger to fighting in the United Kingdom. Last October, “The Lion” traveled to Sheffield, England, where he stunned hometown favorite David Allen by unanimous decision.
By capturing Allen’s WBA Intercontinental heavyweight title, Makhmudov reclaimed his place in the WBA world top 10. It also marked the second consecutive victory for trainer Marc Ramsay’s protégé, who stopped unbeaten Olympian Ricardo Brown in a single round last June in Quebec City.
“I am thrilled about the opportunity. I’m coming to deliver a war,” said the Russian-born Makhmudov in a statement from Eye of the Tiger. “Tyson Fury has been a big champion. I will be more ready than ever to leave with a massive W.”
“We’re not going to England just to show up. We’re going there to do everything possible to seize this opportunity,” added Eye of the Tiger president Camille Estephan.
Makhmudov’s only losses came to Agit Kabayel, a fight that has aged extremely well given Kabayel’s rise, and a surprise loss to Guido Vianello. Makhmudov is a tailor-made opponent for Fury, a fighter with a big punch who isn’t too mobile. He’s a less skilled version of Wilder and at age 36, he’s likely at his peak.
Netflix announced it will air the fight at “no additional cost” to subscribers. Netflix is currently working with Fury on two different documentaries, one of which, titled “At Home with the Furys,” is set to air in the spring.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist and the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). She is the Managing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.