- Tyson Fury has announced his return to professional boxing in 2026 after retiring in early 2025.
- The 37-year-old former champion, who has a history of comebacks, is aiming for another world title run despite recent losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
Tyson Fury has confirmed he will return to professional boxing in 2026, just a year after announcing his retirement for the fifth time.
The former heavyweight champion made the announcement via Instagram, ending months of speculation after posting several training videos during the festive period. Fury, who will be 37, suggested he still has the hunger to compete at the highest level.
“2026 is that year. Return of the mac,” Fury wrote. “Been away for a while but I’m back now, 37 years old and still punching. Nothing better to do than punch men in the face and get paid for it.”
Fury stepped away from boxing in January 2025, one month after suffering his second successive points defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian defeated the Brit twice in 2024, in Saudi Arabia and Riyadh, denying Fury the chance to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
Despite those setbacks, Fury holds an impressive professional record of 34 wins, two losses and one draw. He is a two-time world champion, having dethroned Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 and later defeating Deontay Wilder in 2020.
The 37-year-old is no stranger to comebacks, having previously retired in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2022, only to return each time within months.
A potential trilogy fight with Usyk would still command significant attention, while a long-anticipated all-British showdown with Anthony Joshua had been pencilled in for 2026. However, that bout is now in doubt following a tragic car crash involving Joshua that claimed the lives of two close members of his team.
Commenting on the situation, Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, said Joshua’s future in boxing remains uncertain.
“This is an awful time for everyone involved,” Warren said. “I don’t even know if he will ever have the appetite to fight again or if he will ever fight again. Only time will tell.”
Fury also expressed his condolences to Joshua, posting: “This is so sad. May God give them a good bed in heaven.”
With his latest announcement, Fury appears determined to mount yet another comeback, this time with the ambition of becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion.
