Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua car crash was 'biggest turning point' in comeback as he aims to 'make boxing great again'
Published 16/02/2026 at 19:08 GMT
Tyson Fury will make his return to boxing on April 11, when he fights Arslanbek Makhmudov. It will be Fury's first fight since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024. Fury, 37, retired soon after the defeat but has explained why he is back in boxing. Anthony Joshua’s car crash, ChatGPT, and "making boxing great again" were among the reasons given by Fury.
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Tyson Fury says he is returning to boxing to make the sport "great again" and that Anthony Joshua’s car crash was the "biggest turning point" in his comeback decision.
Fury, 37, has not fought since losing his rematch to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.
He announced his retirement from boxing soon after, but will step back into the ring to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.
There is expectation, and hope, that Fury’s return could finally pave the way for a long-awaited fight with fellow Briton Joshua.
Joshua was involved in a car accident in December that saw two of his friends killed, and Fury said that incident "made up" his mind on returning to boxing.
"The biggest turning point in this comeback for me was a tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua," revealed Fury.
"I was on holiday with my family in Thailand for Christmas, then I hear all that bad news that's gone on, and I thought life is very, very short and very precious and very fragile and anything can happen at any given moment.
"You should never put things off until tomorrow or next year or next week because tomorrow is never promised to nobody.
"The Bible says 'Tomorrow is not a gift, tomorrow ain't promised, tomorrow is a mystery'. So we have to live for today.
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"I made my mind up there and then that I'm going to come back to boxing because it's something that I love and I'm passionate about and I've always been in love with, and there is no tomorrow to put it off too, so that's why I'm back today for this big fight."
It was widely expected that Fury would return to boxing, having come out of retirement on several previous occasions.
He stepped away following a second successive loss to Usyk over a year ago, but says he still believes he is in his "prime".
"I feel fresh, I feel good," Fury said. "And if I was on the decline I would say it. I'd be the first to say, 'You know what, I don't think I've got it no more, I won't box'. But I don't think I've lost anything. I still feel in my prime."
Fury was also asked why he decided to come out of retirement again, having previously said he would have "no reason" to return to boxing.
He said: "It's a very interesting question and there's only one answer to that, and the truth of the matter is I came back for one reason only, and that's to make boxing great again.
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"Since I retired for the fifth time over a year ago, boxing has gone on a downwards slope.
"It's become quite boring and boxing is at its maximum potential when Tyson Fury is actively fighting, and I didn't say that, the cleverest AI on earth said that, ChatGPT."
Fury will look to show off his credentials against Makhmudov when they face off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
If he does impress and emerges victorious, there could be several options on the table for his next fight, including a potential third meeting with Usyk.
"I'm not looking ahead because I'm telling you now, everything Tyson does is his decision," said Fury’s promoter Frank Warren.
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"We give him a bit of advice but at the end of it he's a boxing man through and through. If you cut him in half it would say fighter.
"He said he wants to win the title for the third time, that's his mission. Nearly every mission he goes on he wins. He does it, he accomplishes them.
"I'd like to see him in with Usyk again. They were great fights to watch. And also I'd like to see him fight the winner of Fabio [Wardley] and Daniel [Dubois]. Heavyweight boxing is so good at the moment and now it is alight.
"When Tyson Fury gets in there, here at Spurs, we're going to see a fantastic performance and after that the world is his lobster."
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