Tyson Fury Defeats Arslanbek Makhmudov in Heavyweight Bout, Calls Out Anthony Joshua in Dominant Return
The Gypsy King cruised to a unanimous decision victory before confronting his British rival ringside.
Summary
- Tyson Fury returned to the ring to defeat Arslanbek Makhmudov via unanimous decision after 12 rounds
- The 37-year-old heavyweight immediately challenged Anthony Joshua on the live Netflix broadcast
- Joshua confirmed interest in the matchup, stating that contracts will likely be sent over soon
Tyson Fury showed little rust in his latest return to the boxing ring, dominating Arslanbek Makhmudov for a unanimous decision victory at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The 37-year-old “Gypsy King,” who briefly retired following a second loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, utilized his signature jab and precise lead uppercuts to control the 12-round bout. Immediately after the final bell, Fury turned his attention to ringside, directly challenging former world champion Anthony Joshua to a highly anticipated heavyweight showdown.
After a characteristically slow start, Fury dictated the pace against Makhmudov, leading to scorecards of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109. The tension peaked post-fight when Fury grabbed the Netflix microphone to ask Joshua, “Do you accept my challenge?” Joshua, who had been filming portions of the match on his phone, fired back with, “I’ll punch you up,” and asserted, “I’m the landlord. You work for me.”
In the post-fight interview, Joshua confirmed the likelihood of the blockbuster matchup. “Contracts will be sent over. You’ll probably see us in the ring,” he stated, though he noted he is still dealing with personal matters following the recent loss of two close friends. A clash between the two British heavyweights has long been considered one of the sport’s biggest potential events. Fury also paid respects to the late Ricky Hatton during his ring walk, wearing shorts embroidered with “RIP Ricky” to honor the former Manchester world champion.
