Weeks before sinking his claws into Arslanbek Makhmudov, Tyson Fury took time out from training in Thailand and plenty were unhappy with his visit to a so-called ‘sanctuary’
Tyson Fury posed for photos with a lion in chains(Image: tysonfury/Instagram)
Boxing superstar Tyson Fury was told to educate himself on the suffering of animals after being hit with backlash for posing with a lion in chains.
The former world champion is gearing up for his latest comeback following a 16-month hiatus as he takes on Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11. Nicknamed The Lion, he wanted to show his fearsome rival his teeth before the fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
But some were angry the Gypsy King paid a visit to the chain-up animal after taking some time out at training in Pattaya, Thailand . During a video shared on Instagram Tyson can be heard saying: “Good boy, good boy. He’s a good boy, he is. He’s only a little Simba cat.”
READ MORE: Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua sent Moses Itauma warningREAD MORE: Inside Venezuela Fury’s wild hen night as ‘proud mum’ Paris and daughter, 16, dance
Fury will fight Russian knockout specialist Arslanbek Makhmudov on his return to boxing in April
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He captioned the clip: “There’s only one King of the Jungle – The Gypsy King! Arslanbek… ‘The Lion’… about as scary as my Aunt Patsy’s cat April 11. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Lion sleeps tonight – and so will you! THE KING IS COMING HOME”
His visit didn’t go down well. One follower told him: “Tyson, I think if you knew how these poor big cats were treated you’d be saddened, horrified even. Please do your research and use your platform to help them not support this industry.”
Another simply put: “Not cool. Do your research on how they treat these animals.” A third told the boxer: “I used to admire you … now this is just sad sorry no lion should be chained up for a photo op.” MirrorOnline have contacted Tyson’s team for comment.
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He will have his work cut out in the ring. Makhmudov has only suffered two defeats in his boxing career, including a painful stoppage by No. 2 ranked heavyweight Agit Kabayel in 2023, on the undercard of Anthonyn Joshua’s bout with Otto Wallin.
It’s also a dangerous first post-retirement fight for Tyson, who has not beaten a full-time boxer since overcoming Derek Chisora in 2022. The Morecambe fighter’s last victory was over UFC fighter Francis Ngannou in October 2023, which saw him get knocked down on his way to a split-decision win.
Back home, his eldest child Venezuela left everyone gobsmacked after her epic hen party. The teen, 16, pulled out all the stops for the lavish bash held at Morecombe Football Club, which is close to the Fury family mansion, ahead of her wedding to boyfriend, Noah Price, 17.
Venezuela, who is signed to the same agency as Katie Price and Peter Andre’s daughter, Princess Andre, 16, was adamant that no-one under 15 could attend the glamorous gathering, at which she was dressed to impress in a stunning gold princess gown, crown, veil, and towering strappy sandals.
One of the teen’s pals leaked an invite for the big day – which was attended by more than 300 guests – which read: “You are invited to Venezuela’s hen party. Thursday 26th March 2026, 7.30pm onwards.” It also stated that the dress code is “wear what you want”, and added “over 15s only please”.
Venezuela, whose mum, Paris, was 18 when she got married to boxing champion, Tyson, squealed with delight when Noah popped the question last year. The teen’s wedding is sure to be a huge affair, with all the Fury family in attendance. Venezuela has six brothers and sisters, multiple cousins and also counts Molly-Mae Hague’s partner, Tommy Fury, as her uncle.
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