Tyson Fury: Joshua tragedy prompted my return — 'Tomorrow might not ever come'

Tyson Fury has revealed that the road traffic accident involving Anthony Joshua and the deaths of two members of Joshua’s team were the turning point in his decision to end retirement and return to the ring. The two-time world heavyweight champion will face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 (ET) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Fury says the crash made him act

Fury, who had announced his retirement at the start of 2025 after a second successive defeat, said the tragedy that struck Joshua’s camp in late December forced a change of perspective. He described being on holiday with his family in Thailand when he heard the news and immediately felt life’s fragility.

“Tomorrow might not ever come, ” Fury said at a press conference at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “The biggest turning point in this comeback for me was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua. Life is very short, very precious and very fragile. Anything could happen at any given moment and you should never put things off until tomorrow. ”

Fury referenced his time away from the sport, saying he had enjoyed retirement but that the incident crystallised his decision. “I made my mind up there and then that I'm going to come back to boxing — because it's something that I love, I'm passionate about and that I've always been in love with, ” he said.

Back in for Makhmudov on April 11 (ET)

The comeback fight is scheduled for April 11 (ET) against unbeaten Russian-born heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fury framed the bout as both a personal return to the sport he loves and an attempt to reignite interest in heavyweight boxing.

Fury has not fought since his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, and his year out included a public retirement announcement before reversing course in early January. He confirmed the comeback publicly on January 4 (ET) and used the recent tragedy as a key explanation for why he would not delay his return.

At the stadium press conference he was emphatic that life’s unpredictability meant seizing the moment. “You should never put things off until tomorrow, or the next year or next week, because tomorrow is not promised to nobody, ” Fury said. “There is no tomorrow to put it off to, so that's why I'm back today for this big fight. ”

What Fury's return means for heavyweight prospects

Fury’s decision reintroduces one of the sport’s most polarising and marketable figures back into a heavyweight scene that has been waiting for marquee domestic matchups. A long-standing rivalry with Anthony Joshua has been a recurring talking point, and while plans for a Fury–Joshua showdown had been under discussion, Joshua’s recovery from the crash has placed those talks on hold.

Fury acknowledged the complicated feelings around a potential meeting with Joshua, but framed his return as motivated by a desire to live in the moment and pursue the sport he loves. Whether the comeback leads to a high-profile domestic clash will depend on many moving parts — not least Joshua’s recovery and the outcomes Fury produces when he returns to the ring.

For now, Fury’s focus is clear: prepare for Makhmudov on April 11 (ET), embrace the present and use the ring as his chosen stage. “My work will always be the fight game, ” he said, adding that he felt ready to return despite having enjoyed retirement.