Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury announced his return to the ring after a 15-month absence at age 37, declaring, "I've still got it." He will face 36-year-old Russian-born heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov in a bout on Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Fury described the fight as "dangerous" and emphasized focusing on his current opponent before discussing future plans.

Talks about the long-awaited "Battle of Britain" between Fury and his perennial rival Anthony Joshua continue, with the CEO of Croke Park in Dublin expressing a desire to host the match. However, Fury is prioritizing Makhmudov for now, stating, "I've got a dangerous fighter in front of me, the rest can wait." He also referenced last year's upset in the Daniel Dubois vs. Joshua fight, cautioning against underestimating opponents.

Fury retired after a second consecutive loss to world champion Oleksandr Usyk in late 2024 but chose to return, citing the death of Joshua's friends as inspiration: "You have to live every day like it's your last." He admitted to retiring five times, successfully coming back four times, and hoping for a fifth, as he misses the thrill of big fights and finds normal life boring.

Fury's father, John Fury, believes the grueling fights against Deontay Wilder have left the 'Gypsy King' past his prime, with Makhmudov posing a serious problem. However, Tyson dismissed this, asserting he hasn't lost his speed or reactions. Makhmudov downplayed concerns about Fury's layoff, viewing his experience as an advantage, and playfully hugged him during the press conference.

Makhmudov generated buzz ahead of the fight by posting a video of him wrestling a 2.9m, 419kg bear in woods near Moscow nearly two years ago. He described the encounter as terrifying but useful for confronting fear in boxing. Makhmudov said, "It's like a natural disaster, once is enough!" The Fury vs. Makhmudov bout is anticipated as a compelling event in the boxing world.

Source: www.aljazeera.com