Tyson Fury officially announces 2026 return from boxing retirement
Tyson Fury's latest retirement — much like his other ones — didn't last very long.
The former two-time heavyweight champion confirmed Sunday that he will return to boxing in 2026.
Fury announced the news on social media:
"2026 is that year, return of the mac. 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."
In recent days, Fury has posted training clips of him sparring with South Africa's Kevin Lerena. A southpaw cruiserweight-turned-heavyweight contender, Lerena was one of the training partners Fury used for his fights with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk because of their similar statures.
Fury's training with Lerena has fueled speculation that "The Gypsy King" could be lining up a trilogy bout with Usyk, which is a fight he has long wanted. In his January 2025 retirement video, the Brit referenced his belief that he was unlucky to walk away with a pair of losses in his two 2024 fights with Usyk, the first of which was contested for boxing's undisputed heavyweight title.
Fury hasn't fought since his second defeat to Usyk in December 2024, while the Ukrainian champion has been linked with a fight against Deontay Wilder later this year.
The Turki Alalshikh-owned Ring Magazine reported this past month that a long-awaited showdown between Fury and Anthony Joshua was in the works for later in 2026, however it is unclear what the status of that planned fight is following the tragic deaths of Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, two members of Joshua's training team, who died in a car crash in Nigeria this past Monday in which Joshua suffered minor injuries as well.










