Nearly a year after announcing his latest retirement from boxing, heavyweight star Tyson Fury has picked up the gloves again and is openly targeting a return to the ring in 2026. Fury confirmed his intentions with a training clip posted to Instagram, instantly reigniting comeback speculation around the self-styled Gypsy King.
“2026 is that year. Return of the mac,” Fury wrote. “Been away for a while but I’m back now, 37 years old and still punching. Nothing better to do than punch men in the face and get paid for it.”
The post comes less than 12 months after Fury walked away from the sport following a second straight decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024. At the time, Fury insisted he was finished, closing the door on a career that saw him win multiple world titles and remain unbeaten until his clashes with Usyk.
Still, retirement has rarely been permanent for Tyson Fury. He first stepped away in 2013 after planned bouts with David Haye collapsed. He retired again in 2017 amid a prolonged battle with UK Anti-Doping, a period Fury later admitted was marked by personal struggles and substance abuse. Since then, Fury has made several farewell announcements, only to reverse course each time.
This latest tease feels no different. Fury fueled rumors throughout the holidays by sharing multiple training clips, even while maintaining publicly that he had left boxing behind.
The most obvious opponent remains Anthony Joshua, a fight that has eluded British boxing fans for years. Fury and Joshua have traded verbal jabs across interviews and social media, and their rivalry remains one of the sport’s biggest unanswered questions. However, that bout is now uncertain after Joshua was involved in a tragic car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends and team members and left Joshua injured.
Despite their long-running rivalry, Fury struck a respectful tone following the incident, offering condolences to Joshua and his team.
If Joshua is unavailable, Fury still has options. A trilogy fight with Usyk or a title clash against another top heavyweight could lure him back. A successful return would place Tyson Fury alongside Muhammad Ali as a three-time world heavyweight champion, another milestone that may prove too tempting to ignore.
For now, Fury’s message is clear: retirement hasn’t dulled his hunger, and 2026 is firmly on his radar. Whether this comeback sticks remains to be seen, but with Tyson Fury, the door is never truly closed.
