Tyson Fury is set to return to the ring on Saturday, where he is facing the Russian bear-fighting Arslanbek Makhmudov.

It will be Fury’s first fight since his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, after which he announced his retirement before confirming in January this year that he would return to the ring.

Despite his hiatus, Fury remains one of the biggest names in the sport, and a victory would intensify the long-running conversation about a showdown with fellow Brit, Anthony Joshua.

Fury said he wants to fight Joshua, and in the pre-match interviews for Saturday’s fight, floated a possible September date – though nothing has been confirmed.

But first, Fury said: “I’m going to concentrate on this big Russian fella.”

ITV News breaks down everything you need to know about Saturday’s fight.

Who is Arslanbek Makhmudov?

Makhmudov, 36, is a Russian national who currently lives in Canada and holds a 21-2 record in the ring.

His most recent fight was a 12-round unanimous decision over Dave Allen in October.

Makhmudov’s left eye was swollen shut in a loss to Guido Vianello in 2024. He was felled by Agit Kabayel’s body shots in a fourth-round stoppage in 2023.

In the run-up to the fight, Makhmudov, shared a video of him sparring with a bear, saying: “The goal was to overcome the threshold of fear and learn to control yourself in critical situations.”

Makhmudov told the Guardian he believed Fury was one of the sport’s all-time greats, but he believed he would win.

He said: “Tyson Fury is the professor of mind and boxing. A lot of boxing is mental and he is a master. But boxing is also spiritual. I am going to be strong, spiritual and smart.

“You can say this is a war between mental and spiritual, and we’ll see who is more successful. Inshallah, it is spiritual.”

Fury is also not taking Makhmudov lying down, telling reporters on Thursday: “I’ve never overlooked anybody in my life, and I’ll definitely not overlook this beast. He’s a scary dude.”

What about Fury’s future?

Fury has stated he isn’t just coming out of retirement to fight Makhmudov, and has outlined a plan for three fights this year.

Telling reporters in the run-up to Saturday’s match, he said he wanted to fight Joshua in September and potentially a third attempt to beat world champion Usyk.

Tyson Fury and Arslanbek Makhmudov were jovial at the press event on Thursday. Credit: PA

A fight between Fury and Joshua has long been planned but never materialised. With both in and out of retirement, it has looked increasingly unlikely in recent years.

Fury told reporters on Friday: “This fight was supposed to happen so many times over the last 10 years, but then someone has had one more fight in between and someone has got knocked out or injured.

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“I think we should get this fight on as soon as possible in case something happens in between.

“The problem is that in heavyweight boxing, anything can go wrong, there are no easy fights. And if you get knocked upside down, it’s finished, it’s done. I want it as the fight next, and I’m sure AJ feels the same.”

The 36-year-old Joshua called out Fury after breaking Jake Paul’s jaw in a stoppage victory in December.

But just a few days later, Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria, throwing his future into doubt.

He was a passenger in the vehicle, and two of his close friends were killed. The driver of the car, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, has been charged in relation to the crash.

But it appears Joshua is set to resume fighting. He has returned to training and was seen last weekend attending the Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora bout in London.

When and where is the fight?

The fight is taking place on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It will be Fury’s first fight in the UK since 2022.

The main card begins at 7pm and is available on Netflix.

Fury’s ring walk is expected around 10.30pm, about one hour after Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis.

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