A Year After Retiring, Tyson Fury Declares “I’m Back”

Nearly a year after announcing his retirement from boxing, former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has revealed that he plans to return to the ring in 2026.

Fury last fought in December 2024, when he lost on points to long-time rival Oleksandr Usyk in a bout that decided three of the four major world heavyweight titles. The following month, the British boxer announced that he was stepping away from the sport—one of several retirements in a career marked by dramatic exits and returns.

On Sunday, Fury reignited comeback speculation with a post on Instagram, writing: “2026 is that year. The Mac is back.”

“I’ve been gone for a while, but now that I’m 37 years old and still punching, I’m back,” Fury added. “There’s nothing better than getting paid to punch men in the face.”

Questions had lingered over whether Fury’s retirement was permanent. The former champion boasts a record of 34 wins from 37 fights and has held the world heavyweight title on two separate occasions. His rivalry with Usyk remains a sore point, particularly after the Ukrainian handed Fury the only defeats of his career.

Fury’s frustration with the judges’ decisions in those losses was clear in his retirement statement last year, when he memorably remarked: “I’m going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask.”

Speculation about another comeback intensified over the holiday season after Fury shared several videos of himself training on social media. Despite previously insisting he was done with boxing, he has continued to be linked with a long-anticipated showdown against fellow Briton Anthony Joshua, another former two-time heavyweight world champion.

The pair had agreed to fight after jointly holding all four major world titles in August 2021, but those plans were derailed when an arbitration ruling ordered Fury to face Deontay Wilder for a third time.

More recently, discussions had taken place about Fury and Joshua preparing for a bout that could occur in late summer or towards the end of 2026. However, Joshua’s future is now uncertain following a serious car accident in Nigeria last Monday, which left him injured and claimed the lives of two close friends and team members.

If Joshua is unavailable, Fury could instead pursue an all-British clash with WBO champion Fabio Wardley or seek a trilogy fight against Usyk, who currently holds the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles. Victory in either contest would see Fury crowned a three-time world heavyweight champion.