Tyson Fury set to lose millions in tax after bagging huge purse from Arslanbek Makhmudov victory

Callum Vurley
Sun, 12 Apr 2026 18:39:17 +0000

Tyson Fury made a triumphant return to boxing on Saturday night, claiming a comfortable unanimous decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Gypsy King hadn't stepped into the ring for 16 months following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, but he looked sharp after shaking off some early rust.

It wasn't exactly a thriller – Makhmudov went the full twelve rounds but never really troubled Fury, who controlled proceedings throughout.

Netflix secured the broadcasting rights for the bout, reportedly guaranteeing Fury a massive $25 million purse, which works out at roughly £18.6 million.

Not a bad night's work at all.

Here's where it gets a bit painful for Fury, though.

Tax expert Jon Elphick, managing tax partner at Mark Davies & Associates, told Express Sport that the Morecambe man will likely hand over a hefty chunk of his earnings to HMRC.

"UK source earnings are subject to UK income tax, irrespective of where the sports person resides (which in Tyson Fury's case may be the UK, or may be the Isle of Man depending on whether recent media reports are correct), so Tyson Fury will likely pay the highest rate of income tax on his fight purse," Elphick explained.

At the 45 per cent rate, that translates to approximately £8.35 million heading straight to the taxman.

Fury wasted no time calling out Anthony Joshua after the final bell, demanding an answer on the spot.

"Do you accept my challenge? Let him say yes or no now. Come on you big s***house, are you going to fight or not?" Fury bellowed.

Joshua, sitting ringside, wasn't about to let that slide.

"Tyson you're a clout chaser. I've never had no problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids. And after watching you here tonight, I'll punch you up again," Joshua fired back.

He added: "I'm the boss. You work for me. I'm the landlord, remember that."

Conor Benn also enjoyed success on the undercard, beating Regis Prograis by unanimous decision.

The welterweight finds himself in much the same boat as Fury when it comes to the taxman, though.

Benn reportedly earned $15 million for his night's work, and Elphick confirmed he'll face similar treatment from HMRC.

"Conor will be in the same position as Tyson on the reported income of $15m, and he'll likely pay tax (at a rate of 45 per cent) in the region of $6.75m (£5m) on his earnings," the tax expert noted.

That's still a tidy sum left over, mind you.