Former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury has confirmed he will return to professional boxing in 2026, bringing an end to his most recent spell of retirement. The 37-year-old Briton last fought in December 2024, when he suffered a second defeat to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch. Fury announced his retirement a month later, though speculation about a comeback has intensified in recent weeks. Those rumours gathered pace after Fury shared videos of himself training in Thailand alongside South African boxer Kevin Lerena. On Sunday, the former champion made his intentions clear in a post on Instagram. “2026 is that year. Return of the Mac. Been away for a while but I’m back now. 37 years old and still punching,” Fury wrote. Fury’s decision to return has been widely expected, given his history of reversing retirement calls. He previously announced his retirement after stopping Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April 2022, only to return to the ring six months later. READ ALSO: Ricky Hatton: Right Offer Could Lure Tyson Fury Out of Retirement for Joshua Fight His promoter, Frank Warren, has consistently maintained that Fury would fight again. Reports had suggested Saudi Arabia powerbroker Turki Alalshikh was planning for Fury and long-time rival Anthony Joshua to take separate bouts in the Kingdom early in 2026, before a potential blockbuster meeting later in the year. Joshua had further fuelled talk of a long-awaited showdown after defeating Jake Paul in December and expressing readiness to face Fury. However, those plans have been thrown into doubt after Joshua was injured in a car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends. Fury is a two-time heavyweight world champion, with a professional record of 34 wins, two defeats and one draw. Both of his losses came against Usyk, while his draw was against Deontay Wilder. He first rose to global prominence in 2015 when he stunned long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko in Germany to claim the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and The Ring heavyweight titles. After more than two years away from the sport, during which he battled mental health challenges, Fury returned in 2018 and regained world champion status by stopping Wilder in 2020 to win the WBC title. Fury has previously stated his desire to avenge his defeats by Usyk, who currently holds the WBA (Super), WBC and IBF belts. However, there appears to be limited appetite among fans for a trilogy, and the Ukrainian has suggested he would prefer to defend his titles against Wilder next. Another possible route back into world-title contention for Fury could be a domestic clash with Fabio Wardley, the current WBO champion and a fellow fighter in Warren’s Queensberry stable.
Tyson Fury Announces Boxing Comeback in 2026, Ends Latest Retirement
