Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will return to the ring on April 11 following a 15-month absence, as he takes on Russian-born contender Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 37-year-old announced his comeback on January 4, a year after retiring in the wake of his second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk at the end of 2024.

Fury revealed that a tragic incident involving long-time rival Anthony Joshua influenced his decision to return. Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of two of his close friends.

“Tomorrow might not ever come and I suppose the biggest turning point in this comeback for me was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua,” Fury said at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday.

“You should never put things off until tomorrow, or next year, or next week because tomorrow is not promised to nobody,” he added.

Speculation about a long-anticipated Fury–Joshua showdown in 2026 has now been pushed aside as Fury focuses on his upcoming bout.

The former two-time world heavyweight champion also said his motivation for returning extends beyond personal ambition.

“The truth of the matter is I came back for one reason only and that’s to make boxing great again,” Fury stated.

“Since I’ve retired for the fifth time over a year ago, boxing for me has gone on a downward slope and it’s become quite boring.”