By now, you are no doubt aware that Tyson Fury is (surprise!) coming out of his fifth (ahem) retirement to return to the boxing ring. Fury, the former heavyweight champion famously known as “The Gypsy King,” has tapped Russian-born opponent Arslanbek Makhmudov, who is now based in Montreal under the Eye of the Tiger Management banner.
Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) and Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KOs) will meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday, April 11, and will be broadcast worldwide on Netflix.
During his “retirement,” Fury has produced two editions of his reality series with Netflix, “At Home With the Furys,” with the second season debut scheduled on March 18. Coincidence? We think not.
At this week’s kickoff news conference, Fury was his customary bombastic self, precisely what his minders at Queensberry Promotions, The RING, Goldstar Promotions, and Mahkmudov’s promotional team hoped to see. While Fury may still be a serious talent in the heavyweight division, it’s the entertainment value and fan draw that make him so valuable.
But why isn’t more being made of the surprising declaration by Fury that he will train himself for this fight, his first in 16 months?
How the Fury vs Makhmudov Matchup Happened
“The truth is, I came back for one reason only, and that’s to make boxing great again,” said Fury.
“Since I retired, boxing has been on a downward slope. Boxing is better when Tyson Fury’s involved,” declared the Gypsy King with his usual reserve. “With me, I brought the biggest streaming platform on Earth in Netflix. I bring a circus, I bring an entourage. I bring entertainment; I bring action; I bring cameras. I bring everything to the sport, and it’s something I’m so passionate about, and I love,” said Fury.
Fury originally anticipated facing his British countryman and another former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua. After Joshua sliced through Jake Paul like the proverbial knife through butter, the long-awaited matchup finally seemed in sight. But when Joshua was injured in an auto accident in Nigeria that also killed two members of his team, Fury, Queensberry chairman Frank Warren, and Netflix were forced to look elsewhere.
Fury said Joshua’s accident fueled his desire to return. He was in Thailand on vacation with his family when the news reached him.
“I hear all that bad news that’s gone on, and I thought you know what? Life is very, very short and very precious and very fragile and anything could happen at any given moment, and you should never put things off until tomorrow or next year or next week because tomorrow is not promised to nobody.
“The Bible says tomorrow is not a gift. Tomorrow ain’t promised. Tomorrow is a mystery. We have to live for today. And me living for that day, I made my mind up there and then that I’m going to come back to boxing because it’s something that I love, I’m passionate about, and that I’ve always been in love with.
“There is no tomorrow to put it off to, so that’s why I’m back today for this big fight.”
Enter Mahkmudov, known as “The Lion.” Makhmudov is no stranger to fighting in England. In his most recent win in October, Makhmudov scored a definitive decision win over British fan favorite Dave Allen at a sold-out Sheffield Arena.
Makhmudov’s Golden Opportunity
Mahkmudov and his team did not hesitate to agree to the matchup. Eye of the Tiger Management general manager Antoine Declaire, a former professional boxer himself, said Makhmudov pressed him to confirm the fight without any discussion. “For him, it was 100% right away,” said Declaire. “It’s going to be a much better story for us than it was in Rocky 4.
Declaire said Fury is a legend, but Makhmudov intends to make a point and make a statement. “Let’s not forget that we came we came to England at the end of 2025. We won a unanimous decision. He can box. So obviously, he’s got a lot of power, but he’s got a lot more tools in his bag.
“Obviously, Tyson Fury is uh one of the greatest to ever do it, but uh on April 11, unfortunately, it’s going to be a different story,” said Declaire, adding that Mahkmudov’s entire career track is leading to this night.
“We’re going to go real hard. And I know that Arlan’s a bad man when he’s in the ring. No doubt.”
Makhmudov calls it a dream fight. “My parents told me, my uncle told me, when I was nine years old, you’re going to be world champion. So, I just follow my goals and enjoy this time now, and enjoy my trip to this goal. I’m looking forward to April 11 to reach my goal, inshallah.
“I come here to make my legacy, my story. I believe when we took a picture almost 10 years ago, it was like signal from God that this day would happen. One day I’m going to meet with this guy and beat him. That’s my goal, and I believe God prepared this for me.”
Marc Ramsey Guiding Makhmudov
Makhmudov is trained in Montreal by one of the most respected trainers in boxing, Marc Ramsey. During his 20 years in the Canadian boxing, Ramsey has guided Artur Beterbiev to an undisputed world championship and is currently training super middleweight Christian Mbilli. Call him the Robert Garcia of Canada.
Mahkmudov also works with his original trainer in Dagestan for high altitude camps. He puts in time for conditioning before returning to Montreal to work with Ramsey.
Who’s training Tyson Fury? This is an unexamined aspect of the upcoming fight.
Thailand’s Appeal for Tyson Fury
Fury talked at length about training in Thailand over the past weeks, saying how much he enjoyed training in a warmer climate.
When I’m in Thailand, and I wake up and it’s 30° C (86 degrees Fahrenheit) outside, I’m like, “This is awesome. Let me go training.” Sunshine is the key.” Fury said waking up in sunshine makes him happy; waking up in the rain, not so much.
“I don’t like the cold anymore. And I don’t like the rain. I don’t like the greyness. I don’t like the two weeks of summer we get per year. So that’s why I’m in Thailand. I’ve been there eight weeks already and the worst day we had is uh 27.5° (81.4 degrees F) and the best day we’ve had has been about 35° (95 degrees F). So yeah, it’s been pretty good. I’ve really been enjoying me training, and you can get a good sweat on.
“Muhammad Ali once said he said I train in Miami, live in Miami, because when I’m having me breakfast I’m losing weight. When I’m jogging, I’m losing weight. When I’m training, I’m losing weight. When I’m sleeping, I’m losing weight. So while I’m out in Thailand and 30 degrees, it’s a bit like Miami with the humidity. I’m losing weight all the time,” explained Fury.
Tyson Fury: “Like Clubber Lang”
The big news was revealed at the end of the press conference, which has gotten far too little attention. When Fury was asked who his trainer is for this fight, Fury said he is training himself. Asked to clarify, he insisted he is not working with a trainer in Thailand.
“I’m like Clubber Lang. I’m going to train alone for this one. And that is the plan. I’m going to train alone.
“I know how to do it. I know how to go 12 rounds. I know how to push myself when I need to, and I know how to take a rest when I need to,” said Fury, who added that people try to make boxing sounds “rocket science,” but it’s not in his mind.
“As long as you train hard and eat well and get plenty of rest, I think the rest of it, if you’re experienced like I’m an experienced veteran in this game, sometimes you need people to point stuff out to you and just remind you of certain aspects of it all. But what I don’t know about my own body now, I’m never going to know,” said Fury.
Where is Sugarhill Steward?
Who thinks this is a wise plan? Trainers may not tell an experienced champion like Tyson Fury anything he hasn’t heard. But this is not the only function of a trainer. Trainers also push a fighter not sufficiently self-motivated, or let a fighter know when rest is more valuable. Trainers look for flaws a fighter can’t see.
Ideally, a trainer should also be the person most concerned with the well-being of the fighter, during training and in the ring. We aren’t saying Fury intends to come into the fight on April 11 without a corner team. But will he really listen to a trainer’s hard words in the heat of the fight when he hasn’t trained with him the weeks before a fight?
What is the fate of the six-year partnership between Fury and trainer Sugar Hill Steward of the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit? He saw Fury through his victories over Deontay Wilder, but also through his losses to Usyk. Was this the catalyst that damaged the relationship between Steward and Fury?
It wasn’t so long ago (even in boxing years) that Fury was singing Steward’s praises. After his destruction of Dillan Whyte in 2022, Fury said of Steward, “who made me the great fighter I am. Sugar, what a legend you are mate. The best trainer in the heavyweight division by a mile.”
“You let me mold you and make you the hardest puncher in heavyweight boxing,” replied Steward.
Fury’s father, Peter Fury, claims he will be “more involved” moving forward. What does this mean, precisely? Fury Senior’s only definitive comment was that he’d be keeping Tyson away from social media. Good luck with that.
Fury has always gone his own way, and with the exception of his dual losses to Usyk, he’s mostly been right. At age 37, Fury isn’t likely to change his ways. But let’s hope he rethinks his Clubber Lang approach and adds back a series trainer with a track record of success to his team. If he doesn’t, he’s handing Marc Ramsey and Arslanbek Mahkmudov an opening to an upset victory.
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.