No deal in place for Fury comeback

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Kal Sajad

Journalist for BBC Sport

31 seconds ago

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According to what BBC Sport understands, no deal has been reached regarding Tyson Fury’s 2026 return to boxing.

The former heavyweight world champion put a stop to his most recent retirement, making it official on Sunday.

The 37-year-old Briton last met in December of that year when Oleksandr Usyk, the unified champion, defeated him for a second time in a heavyweight rematch.

A month later, Fury announced his retirement.

Fury stated in a Sunday Instagram post that “2026 is that year. I’ve been away for a while, but I’m back now.

However, Morecambe fighter’s sources told BBC Sport that the Instagram post was premature because important details about his return, including his opponent and schedule, were still pending.

Any rematch and possibly a fight with Anthony Joshua may also depend heavily on financial support and Saudi Arabia’s continued involvement in major heavyweight events.

Powerbroker in Saudi Arabia Turki Alalshikh had previously been linked to plans for Fury and Joshua to fight off in separate fights in the first place in 2026 before meeting again later in the year.

After being hurt in a car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends, Joshua’s future is uncertain.

Significant challenges still need to be overcome before a fight with Fury, even if he makes a return to the ring.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has grown to be a significant force in boxing thanks to the backing of the Kingdom from both Fury and Joshua.

Instead of working with individual promoters, British rivals Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn both signed directly with Riyadh Season for their two most recent fights.

However, it is now less clear how much Saudi Arabia will be involved in upcoming events, and a Fury-Joshua showdown is still difficult to come by without that funding.

Alalshikh recently switched from his regular boxing job to starting a new business under the Zuffa Boxing banner alongside Dana White, the current UFC president. The first event is anticipated to occur in late January.

Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov has been touted as a potential opponent if a deal is reached regarding Fury’s return.

Fury has publicly stated that she wants to avenge her defeats against Usyk, who currently holds the WBA (Super), WBC, and IBF belts.

Fans seem to have a lukewarm defense of a trilogy, but the Ukrainian has stated he would rather defend his titles against Deontay Wilder next.