Tyson Fury appears set to reverse his retirement decision after Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh confirmed the heavyweight will return to the ring in 2026.
The announcement marks a dramatic U-turn for the 36-year-old, who declared he was hanging up his gloves in January 2025 after his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
Last month, GBNews exclusively revealed that Fury was to return to boxing, with Alalshikh now confirming the move in a post on social media site X.
He wrote: "The 'Gypsy King' will be back!!! I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026.
"We have a rabbit to hunt!"
The 'Gypsy King' will be back!!! I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026 ... 🥊 We have a rabbit to hunt! 🐰🐇 pic.twitter.com/yhDVkoQD1f
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) July 2, 2025
"Rabbit" is the nickname Fury has given Usyk throughout their rivalry, with the Ukrainian winning both encounters on the judges' scorecards.
Fury quickly reposted the message on his own story, adding: "Let's see what 2026 brings," accompanied by dollar signs and laughing emojis.
The retirement announcement came after Fury suffered consecutive defeats to Usyk, losing their rematch in December last year following an initial loss in the previous May.
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Tyson Fury appeared to confirm the U-turn on his Instagram
These marked the first blemishes on the British fighter's previously undefeated record.
In his January retirement video, Fury stated: "I'm going to make this short and sweet, I'd like to announce my retirement from boxing.
"It's been a blast, I've loved every single minute of it and I'm going to end with this. Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side."
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The comeback opens the door for several high-profile matchups, including a potential trilogy fight with Usyk and the long-awaited all-British showdown with Anthony Joshua.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has already promised Fury an immediate world title shot upon his return.
"If Tyson decides to come back to boxing, he always has a door open with the WBC. He will always be number one so absolutely (we will give him a world title shot if he returns) because he is top of the top," Sulaiman told Action Network.
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Tyson Fury retired after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024
Getty
Joshua himself has not competed since losing to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
The timing of Fury's return could prove crucial for British boxing, with Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn suggesting 2026 will likely be Joshua's final year as a professional.
"Probably 2026 will be his last year in the sport. I mean you never know, but thinking about it, it's probably three fights away," Hearn said on The Ariel Helwani show last month.
He outlined a potential scenario where Joshua could face Fury twice before retirement: "If I'm advising AJ I'm thinking, 'We're back this year, two Tyson Fury fights, what else is there to do?'"
Hearn added that defeating Fury twice would allow Joshua to "sail off into the sunset" having accomplished everything in the sport.
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