Tyson Fury marked his return to the heavyweight mix with a composed points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before immediately turning ringside to call out long-time rival Anthony Joshua.
The 37-year-old Briton – out of his latest retirement after 15 months – was far from vintage Fury, but had enough ring IQ and technical control to outbox Makhmudov across 12 largely one-sided rounds.
Advertisement
Fury had to be watchful at times as Makhmudov did land occasional overhand rights, but the Russian was largely one-dimensional as Fury took a wide decision with scorecards of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.
But before the scores were even read out, Fury invited Joshua into the ring, but his rival refused.
“I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me next. Do you accept?” Fury said after more attempts to get Joshua into the ring failed.
Joshua, who appeared to film much of Saturday’s fight on his phone at ringside, initially seemed reluctant to engage, before replying: “I punched you up when we were kids and I’ll punch you up again.
Advertisement
“You aren’t going to tell me what to do, I’ve been chasing you for 10 years.
“I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord. You work for me.”
Fury responded: “You [Anthony Joshua] are next. You are getting knocked out. Believe it.”
A bout that should have happened in both men’s primes, it now lingers as boxing’s great what-if – but it appears it may finally be made a reality.
In his first fight since successive defeats to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, Fury moves to 35 wins, two losses and one draw.
For Makhmudov, 36, it was a third defeat in 24 fights.
Advertisement
Will we finally see Fury v Joshua?
Joshua was at ringside and appeared to be filming much of the fight [Getty Images]
Fury and Joshua – both two-time world champions – have carried British boxing on the global stage for more than a decade, yet despite years of negotiations and false starts, the fight has never materialised.
Now, though, this feels like their most significant breakthrough yet.
“I have been at this table with him many times. In my heart, I’d fight Fury tomorrow, especially after watching that. There is not a problem fighting him,” Joshua told Netflix.
“I am not here to get clout. I am here to fight. The contract will be sent over, we will go through the nitty gritty, and you will probably see us in the ring next, more than likely.”
Advertisement
Joshua, 36, beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December, before suffering a tragic car crash in Nigeria later in the month which claimed the lives of his two friends.
“I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago,” he added. “I need to really check out what is going on with my return to the ring.
“But I’m here, keeping my eye on the game. I am not ducking anyone, there are just things in my life I need to tend to.”
Most fans argue the moment has passed. Both fighters are now in their late thirties and no longer at their physical peak, but the commercial pull remains enormous.
Advertisement
For all the focus on Joshua, Usyk still looms in the background as a potential sporting detour for Fury, although there is limited appetite for a third fight after Usyk’s dominance across their first two meetings.
Another route could lead Fury towards the winner of the 9 May clash between WBO world champion Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.
For now, though, Fury has done what he needed. He returned and he won comfortably.
And if the showdown with Joshua truly is next, British boxing may finally get the fight it has spent a generation waiting for.
A comfortable comeback – how did Fury look?
Fury came in light for the contest after 16 weeks training in Thailand [Getty Images]
A poignant and emotional start to Fury’s ring walk saw a tribute to boxing legend Ricky Hatton, with Blue Moon playing in his honour following his death in September.
Advertisement
The atmosphere in north London was then charged by the familiar Fury theatre – swagger, showmanship and singing – with fireworks erupting over the stadium as he danced to a medley before sprinting to the ring.
The bout was broadcast globally on Netflix to its 325 million subscribers, landing just hours before the release of At Home with the Furys season two.
Fury – who briefly retired after the Usyk losses – had not fought in Britain since December 2022, when he stopped Derek Chisora at this venue to retain the WBC title.
With 16 of his 19 knockouts inside three rounds, Makhmudov carried early danger on paper and landed an overhand right on Tyson Fury’s ear in the opening round.
Advertisement
But Fury quickly found rhythm, picking apart Makhmudov’s high guard and limited movement with counters, switching between southpaw and orthodox.
“He’s tiring already. Take your time,” Fury’s trainer SugarHill Steward told him.
One pre-fight concern had been complacency – Fury has previously struggled with awkward underdogs – but despite Makhmudov connecting again with a looping right in the fourth, Fury’s ring savviness, while a bit rusty, was proving too much.
Makhmudov’s corner urged him to beat Fury to the jab, while Fury’s team praised him for boxing “smart”.
Advertisement
Despite pre-fight talk of sluggish ticket sales, the 62,000-capacity stadium looked close to full, though whether through strong sales or late complimentary distribution was unclear.
Fury upped the tempo in the latter rounds, varying his attack and threading in several uppercuts, but Makhmudov absorbed them without ever really being shaken.
Whether the power that once dropped Deontay Wilder multiple times has waned, or Makhmudov simply showed a stubborn chin under sustained pressure, Fury couldn’t find the breakthrough.
Sensing that a stoppage was unlikely, sections of the crowd began drifting out before the final bell. Fury closed strongly, finishing the fight firmly on top.
Advertisement
After the long lay-off, his corner appeared content simply to bank the rounds and re-establish rhythm rather than chase the finish.