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Tyson Fury has declared himself in the best shape of his life ahead of his latest comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov this Saturday night (April 11th).
The two heavyweight boxers are set to clash in a 12-round bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The modern venue was the scene of Fury's last dominant victory – a decisive win over Derek Chisora in their third encounter in December 2022. Since then, Fury secured a hard-fought 10-round points victory against Francis Ngannou the following year, and in 2024, suffered two decision losses to Oleksandr Usyk. The 37-year-old boxer, who described himself as “fast, technical, beautiful, and destructive” at Thursday's press conference, insisted that all signs point to a swift return to his peak form.
“It was a good camp; the same old rubbish boxers always tell you,” said Fury, whose record stands at 34-2-1 (24 KOs). “But I mean it. There are always injuries that mess you up, but this time, thank God, I had no injuries. I don't remember such a positive camp. I was away from my wife and kids for 16 weeks, which is the longest I've been away. I loved it in Thailand, it's hot every day, which is good for a fat bloke like me. I'm still a fat bloke, but I'm in shape and I had a great time. People always question my retirement. I've retired five times and I've meant it seriously all five times. When I retire, I have no intention of fighting again. But I always miss it.”
Fury claims that the news of Anthony Joshua's car accident in December, which killed two of his closest friends, prompted his return this time.
“When I heard that news, it was so sad,” Fury said. “When things like that happen, it confirms that there's no tomorrow, you have to live every day as if it's your last.”
Fury, in remarkably good spirits, appears to be doing just that.
“For the first time in a long time, I am the hunter, not the hunted. When that happens, I always mess people up. I feel sorry for Makhmudov. He's going to face an injury-free Tyson Fury. I'm going to rip his head off his shoulders, he'll wonder what the hell happened when he wakes up on the canvas. But he shouldn't be ashamed. He lost to the great Tyson Fury. Everyone says my legs are gone, they say my reactions are gone. Well, watch on Saturday night, because they're not.”
Makhmudov, with a record of 21-2 (19 KOs), has been the more active boxer of the two. The Russian's last fight ended in a victory over Dave Allen in October. However, Allen is a completely different opponent compared to Fury.
“We seized this opportunity,” said Marc Ramsay, Makhmudov's trainer. “We had a very good training camp, no injuries, we are ready... You can't find one sparring partner who can replicate Fury's skills. It takes several sparring partners. We are ready.”
“I have no pressure at all,” Makhmudov added. “God has been preparing me for this moment my whole life. I believe my time has come, I am happy.”
“Tyson Fury is a great boxer; you don't necessarily look for the knockout. I will listen to my coach, but what will happen? We don't know. We will do what we have to do, that's it. The fight plan? Two big heavyweights will step into the ring to try and kill each other.”
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