After 16 months out of action, Tyson Fury is officially back as he makes his latest boxing comeback with a showdown vs giant Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov.
‘The Gypsy King’ retired – not for the first time – after that agonising second decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in December 2024.
There was always a strong feeling that Fury, now 37 years old, would eventually return and so it proved. Now all roads – he hopes – lead to that eagerly-awaited all-British showdown vs Anthony Joshua later in 2026.
When is Fury vs Makhmudov?
The big fight is set for Saturday April 11, 2026 in the UK at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Exact timings are yet to be rubber‑stamped, but you can pencil in main event ring walks for late evening UK time, very much in line with Fury’s recent blockbusters. Any time after 10pm UK (11pm CET, 5pm ET or 2pm Pacific in the US).
How to watch live: TV channel and stream
The fight will be shown live on Netflix (which recently showed that Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul blockbuster), which continues its push into the boxing space. All you need to watch for free is an active Netflix subscription (starting from £5.99 per month in the UK) and you can tune in via smart TV, mobile, tablet or supported platforms such as Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
If you don’t have a Netflix subscription, you can sign up any time between now and fight night and still watch the bout for free. Wherever you are in the world.
Latest odds
Bookmakers make Fury a clear 3/10 favourite with Makhmudov the 9/2 underdog and the Draw at 20/1 shot.
Those odds appear pretty tight in our opinion – there is a big gulf between the level Fury has been fighting at, and Makhmudov’s. Clearly the oddsmakers are factoring in a 16-month layoff for Fury and the potential for age and ring rust to be a major factor.
Fury vs Makhmudov weights
Both these men are absolute giants, and they have the bulk to match their huge frames.
Fury was a shade over 20stones at 281lbs for his most recent fight – that rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.
Makhmudov meanwhile tipped the scales at 261lbs (18st 9lbs) for his most recent outing – that victory over Dave Allen in Sheffield in October 2025.
Tyson Fury record and best wins
Fury’s 34-2-1 record includes most of the greats of the heavyweight game in recent years. He has fought pretty much everybody (apart from Joshua, yet) since turning pro back in 2008, and has ducked nobody in a career which will one day land him in Canastota and the Hall of Fame.
His headline victories – dethroning Wladimir Klitschko in Düsseldorf back in 2015 and dismantling Deontay Wilder in their 2020 rematch – are the foundation stones of a legacy built at the very top level. This giant of the heavyweight scene has a resume to match his huge 6ft 9ins frame.
Until suffering back-to-back defeats by the peerless Usyk in their heavyweight unification battles in 2024 Fury had been unbeaten as a professional, charting a path to becoming a world heavyweight champion on two occasions.
Beyond Klitschko and Wilder, there is plenty of depth to Fury’s record: dominant wins over Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora (three times), plus tough nights against Otto Wallin and Steve Cunningham where he had to navigate cuts, knockdowns and adversity to find a way to win.
The lone draw on Fury’s record came in that unforgettable first fight with Wilder back in 2018, when he somehow climbed off the canvas in the final round to hear the final bell. The bout in Los Angeles kicked off a terrific trilogy vs ‘The Bronze Bomber’.
Fury’s losses to Usyk were both by close decisions – the first by a wafer-thin margin after an epic showdown in Riyadh in May 2024. ‘The Gypsy King’ appeared to be heading for a dominant victory until Usyk turned the fight on its head in Round 8. Fury may have been beaten, but he has never yet been truly mastered.
Arslanbek Makhmudov record and best wins
Arslanbek Makhmudov’s pro career (21-2 with 19 wins inside distance) can be chopped neatly into two eras – the first as he rampaged through the division, destroying opponents to build a fearsome reputation. Then the second when somebody finally figuring him out, and reality began to set in.
Truth is that while Makhmudov is a huge man with huge offensive weapons to match, he is also relatively limited at the highest level and a peak Fury would confidently expect to beat him.
The 36-year-old – who fights out of Montreal in Canada – was 18-0 and one of the most feared men in the division when he came up against another unbeaten German fighter in Agit Kabayel in Saudi in December 2023. After a fast start Makhmudov had no answer when the canny Kabayel started to fire back, and he was systematically dismantled en route to a fourth-round stoppage loss.
Makhmudov would suffer another major reverse in his bid to reach the heavyweight elite in August 2024, with another stoppage loss – this time to US-based Italian Guido Vianello in Quebec City.
Now Makhmudov is trying to rebuild his career, and is coming off an October 11, 2025 unanimous decision over British crowd favourite David Allen.
While ‘The Lion’ has now suffered two important defeats, he also has some decent names on his list of victims. Makhmudov owns stoppage wins over former world title challenger Carlos Takam, former champions and gatekeepers such as Samuel Peter and Mariusz Wach and unbeaten hopefuls like Raphael Akpejiori and Jonathan Rice.
Tale of the tape and key factors
| Factor | Fury | Makhmudov |
|---|---|---|
| Turned Pro | 2008 | 2017 |
| Pro record | 34‑2‑1 (24 KOs) | 21‑2‑0 (19 KOs) |
| Last fight | L vs Oleksandr Usyk, Dec 2024 | W vs David Allen (UD), Oct 2025 |
| Height | 206cm (6ft 9ins) | 197cm (6ft 6ins) |
| Reach | 216cm (85ins) | 197cm (78ins) |
| Best wins | Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora | Carlos Takam, Samuel Peter, Mariusz Wach, Raphael Akpejiori, Jonathan Rice |
| Notable losses | Oleksandr Usyk (x2) | Agit Kabayel, Guido Vianello |
| Style points | Technically versatile, rangy boxer‑puncher with a ton of top‑level experience fighting the very best | Aggressive pressure puncher with very high KO rate. Limited at the highest level, found out by Kabayel |
Fury vs Makhmudov undercard
The big news is that Conor Benn has signed to fight on the undercard of this one, and he will face Regis Prograis in a 150lbs catchweight contest. Back down around 10lbs from his most recent matchups with super-middleweight star Chris Eubank Jnr.
There are another couple of big heavyweight contests on the undercard as well, with British heavyweight champion Jeamie TKV taking on Richard Riakporhe and Frazer Clarke facing off with top Aussie Justis Huni.
The full undercard looks like this:
Main Card
Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis
Jeamie TKV vs Richard Riakporhe
Frazer Clarke vs Justis Huni
Prelims
Troy Williamson vs Simon Zachenhuber
Felix Cash vs Liam O’Hare
Elliot Whale vs Tom Hill
Hector Avila Lozano vs Sultan Almohammed
Mikie Tallon vs Cristopher Rios
Breyon Gorham vs Eduard Georgiev
