It’s official! Tyson Fury has announced he’s leaving retirement and will fight again in 2026.
That’s not much of a shock considering the number of times Fury has tried and failed to stay retired, and this latest retirement ended after months of reports out of Saudi Arabia that “The Gypsy King” was in negotiations for at least two more fights. But now we have Tyson himself proclaiming his return.
“2026 is that year, return of the Mac,” Fury wrote on an Instagram post. “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 & get paid for it!”
This follows up on a big report from mid-December that revealed Saudi boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh had signed Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua to compete at Riyadh Season 2026, which kicks off in October. A warm-up fight is also expected sometime in the next four to five months.
Prior to Fury’s announcement, footage was released of Tyson Fury getting some training done in Thailand. While the former heavyweight champion’s retirement belly flopped about like a bag of milk thrown down a garbage chute, it’s clear he still has the skills to bounce right back into top contention.
Now the only question mark that remains is Anthony Joshua’s continued participation in the original plan. Joshua was in a horrible car accident just one week ago that left two of his friends dead, and it’s unclear whether he’s physically and mentally willing to move forward with one of the most important fights of his career.
He certainly doesn’t need the money. Even after U.K. and U.S. taxmen took him for tens of millions of dollars, he still walked away from a December fight with Jake Paul over $40 million dollars richer.
