Tyson Fury ends his fifth retirement on Saturday, April 11, stepping into a sold-out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against one of the most dangerous knockout artists in the heavyweight division. Arslanbek Makhmudov has finished 19 of his 21 opponents. This is not a tuneup.
What to know:
- Main Event: Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov, heavyweight, 12 rounds
- Co-Main: Conor Benn vs. Regis Prograis, 150-pound catchweight
- How to Watch: Netflix, included with all standard plans — no pay-per-view cost
- Stakes: Fury says a loss means immediate retirement. His career hangs on a 16-month comeback.
The Fight
Fury carries a 34-2-1 record (24 KOs) into this one, but the losses matter. Both defeats came against Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, the second by unanimous decision in December. That back-to-back slide ended his reign as a two-time heavyweight world champion and prompted what he called his final retirement. It lasted about a year. A family holiday to Thailand in December turned into a training camp, which turned into a signed contract. As Fury put it to Sky Sports: “I had zero intentions of making a comeback when I came here in December, none, I was happily retired. And then the sunshine, a bit of training and one thing led to another.”
Makhmudov is no soft return. The 36-year-old Dagestani stands 6-foot-6 and carries a 90 percent stoppage rate — 13 of those 19 knockouts came in the first round. He stopped four straight opponents in 2023 before running into Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello in back-to-back TKO losses. Since then, he has rebuilt steadily, winning the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Dave Allen in October 2025. He enters this fight as the WBA’s No. 5-ranked heavyweight.
The stylistic contrast is sharp. Fury’s entire career has been built on evasion, distance management, and breaking pressure fighters down over 12 rounds. Makhmudov works the opposite way — forward, constant, punishing. He needs to land early and often before Fury settles in. If this fight reaches the championship rounds, the edge shifts significantly to the returning champion.
The wild card is the 16-month layoff. Fury trained in Thailand, focused on recapturing the elusive footwork of his younger years rather than the power-punching style he drifted into during his later fights. He also made the unusual decision to enter camp without a traditional corner trainer. At the press conference in February, Fury predicted a right-hand KO in round six and physically tickled Makhmudov at the face-off. The Gypsy King is clearly motivated. Whether his reflexes and chin hold up after more than a year away is a different question.
Fury has been direct about what a loss means. “If he beats me, then it’s curtains,” he told The Ring. “There’s no other fights after that. I’m done.” He has outlined a three-fight plan for 2026 that leads to Anthony Joshua, but that only works if he gets through Saturday. Fury has spoken openly about concerns over his own decline, and the rift with his father John — who refuses to attend the fight and has been vocal about wanting Tyson to stop — adds another layer to an already complicated comeback narrative.
Makhmudov, for his part, is under no illusions about what he’s walking into. Speaking to The Guardian, he called Fury “a legend, one of the best heavyweights in history” but added: “I don’t know how I will beat him, but of course I believe I will win.”
Full Fight Card
| Match | Division / Title |
|---|---|
| Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov | Heavyweight (12 rounds) |
| Conor Benn vs. Regis Prograis | 150-pound catchweight |
| Jeamie Tshikeva vs. Richard Riakporhe | British Heavyweight Title |
| Frazer Clarke vs. Justis Huni | Heavyweight |
| Troy Williamson vs. Simon Zachenhuber | Super Middleweight |
| Felix Cash vs. Liam O’Hare | Middleweight |
| Elliot Whale vs. Tom Hill | Heavyweight |
| Hector Avila Lozano vs. Sultan Almohammed | Super Featherweight |
| Mikie Tallon vs. Cristopher Rios | Bantamweight |
| Breyon Gorham vs. Eduard Georgiev | Heavyweight |
How to Watch
- Date/Time: Saturday, April 11, 2026 — Main card 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. BST
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England
- Streaming: Netflix (worldwide) — included in all standard plans, no PPV cost
Don’t Miss BoxingWire Coverage
Stay tuned to BoxingWire.com for live results, round-by-round updates, and post-fight analysis from Fury vs. Makhmudov.
