Tyson Fury weighed 19st 2lb, or 122kg, at Friday’s weigh-in in London ahead of his fight with Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and said he had come in “nice and light and lean” for his return to the ring.
The 37-year-old was three pounds heavier than Makhmudov, and the brief scale check was followed by a seven-second face-off before the Russian left the stage. Fury, back after two consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, said he wants to become a three-time world champion and admitted he had taken his unbeaten run for granted.
“Whoever has the belts I want to get them back. I was undefeated for 17 years and took it for granted,” Fury said. “I had two losses in a row and I’m not the hunted now but I’m the hunter. It feels great to be the young fresh hunter again.”
His weight matched what he posted for his last fight in the United Kingdom in December 2022, when he beat Derek Chisora, and it was well below the career-heaviest 20st 1lb, or 127kg, he carried for his rematch with Usyk in December 2024. Fury had ballooned to around 28st, or 178kg, during his boxing hiatus between 2016 and 2018, but he trained for this camp in Pattaya, Thailand, before heading into another test that will tell whether the lighter frame is enough to keep him moving forward.
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Radio 5 Live boxing pundit Steve Bunce said Fury looked as if he had spent a long time training in the heat, and praised the weight as a sensible one for the former champion. Bunce said Fury may have started camp at 23 or 24 stone, before gradually shedding pounds after his exile, and added that he liked the way the heavyweight looked.
Fury briefly retired after his first career losses to Usyk in Saudi Arabia, then set about rebuilding for another title run. The 11-minute and 20-second stare down with Usyk before their second fight 16 months ago is still part of the backdrop to his return, but Saturday now gives him a chance to show whether the leaner version can put him back in the title picture immediately.
The fight against Makhmudov is part of a return that comes with no room for soft edges. Fury says he is hunting belts again, not protecting a perfect record, and at 122kg he has made his choice clear before a punch is thrown.
