Tyson Fury secured his 10th professional victory by points decision.
Tyson Fury marked his return to heavyweight boxing with a measured points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Immediately after the fight, he challenged long-standing rival Anthony Joshua from ringside.
The 37-year-old Briton, returning from a 15-month hiatus, was not at his absolute peak but displayed sufficient ring intelligence and technical prowess to outbox Makhmudov over 12 rounds.
While Fury had to be wary of occasional overhand rights from Makhmudov, the Russian’s approach was largely predictable, allowing Fury to secure a comfortable decision with scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109.
Prior to the official score announcement, Fury invited Joshua into the ring, an invitation that was declined.
“I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me next. Do you accept?” Fury stated after his attempts to lure Joshua into the ring were unsuccessful.
Joshua, who was observed filming the fight from ringside, initially hesitated before responding: “I punched you up when we were kids, and I’ll punch you up again.”
“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 retorted: “You [Anthony Joshua] are next. You are getting knocked out. Believe it.”
A highly anticipated bout that never materialized during their primes, the potential matchup now lingers as one of boxing’s great “what ifs,” but it appears increasingly likely to become a reality.
In his first fight since consecutive defeats to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, Fury’s record now stands at 35 wins, two losses, and one draw.
For Makhmudov, 36, this marks his third defeat in 24 fights.
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Joshua was at ringside and appeared to be filming much of the fight
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.”
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.
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.
Fury came in light for the contest after 16 weeks training in Thailand
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.
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.
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”.
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.
After the long lay-off, his corner appeared content simply to bank the rounds and re-establish rhythm rather than chase the finish.
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