Tyson Fury comes out of retirement to take on Russian knockout artist Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11, marking the former heavyweight champion’s return to British soil for the first time in almost four years. The fight will be streamed live on Netflix worldwide, at no additional cost to the platform’s 325 million subscribers.
Tyson Fury announces comeback against knockout artist Arslanbek Makhmudov
The announcement came from Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia and owner of The Ring magazine, which will promote the event. This represents a historic moment for Netflix as the first ever live broadcast from the UK.
Anger, 37, retired for the fifth time in January 2025 after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in their Undisputed Heavyweight Championship fights. By the second defeat in December 2024, Fury had a professional record of 34-2-1 with 24 knockouts. His latest retirement lasted less than a year before he confirmed his comeback earlier this month, posting on Instagram that 2026 would be “the year” for his return.
The British heavyweight has been training in Thailand with WBC bridgeweight champion Kevin Lerena in preparation for the fight. His return to the British ring marks a significant homecoming as his last fight on British soil was a sixth-round knockout victory over Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April 2022.
“We are pleased that Tyson has decided to come out of retirement for what should be an exciting heavyweight bout against Makhmudov,” Alalshikh said in a statement.
Makhmudov, 36, brings a formidable knockout record to the matchup. The Montreal-based fighter has a professional record of 21-2 with 19 knockouts, for a 90 percent knockout rate. Makhmudov, known by the nickname ‘Lion’, stands at 6 feet tall and has built his reputation as a devastating puncher throughout his career, which began in December 2017.
The Russian-born heavyweight suffered his only two professional defeats in recent years. He lost to Agit Kabayel by fourth-round technical knockout in December 2023 and to Guido Vianello by eighth-round stoppage in August 2024. However, he bounced back with a unanimous victory over David Allen in October 2025.
Netflix
Netflix Vice President of Sports Gabe Spitzer expressed his excitement about airing Fury’s comeback. “I have long admired Tyson Fury as one of the most resilient and compelling boxers of his generation,” said Spitzer. “His career has been defined by beating the odds, and there is an undeniable electricity when he fights. We are incredibly excited to see him come out of retirement for this huge homecoming.”
The streaming platform has made significant strides into live sports programming over the past year. Netflix’s November 2024 Boxing Event Featuring Jake Paul and Mike Tyson attracted 108 million viewers worldwide, making it the most streamed sporting event in history. The platform also launched weekly WWE Raw programming in January 2025 as part of a reported 10-year $5 billion deal.
The fight will be promoted by The Ring, which bought Alalshikh from Oscar De La Hoya for $10 million in November 2024. Alalshikh has been a transformative figure in boxing, organizing high-profile events through the Riyadh Season festival and announcing plans for a new boxing promotion in partnership with TKO and Sela in March 2025.
The specific location and undercard for the April 11 event will be announced in the coming weeks. Both fighters will take part in a multi-city press tour to promote the fight.
For Fury, the match represents a new chapter in a career marked by dramatic comebacks and retirements. This will be his sixth return after announcing his retirement, continuing a pattern that has defined much of his professional life. Netflix is currently producing a feature-length documentary entitled ‘FURY’ that chronicles his journey, in addition to a second season of the reality series ‘At Home With the Furys’.
Fury remains confident of his return. “I’m happy to be back,” he said. “Heart always has been and always will be in boxing. Someone tell the king the ace is back.”
Makhmudov sees this opportunity as his breakthrough moment. “I am very happy with this opportunity,” he said. “I’m coming to deliver a war. Tyson Fury has been a great champion. I’ll be more prepared than ever to leave with a huge W.”
The fight marks a pivotal moment for both fighters. For Fury, it represents an attempt to regain relevance in the heavyweight division after the only two defeats of his career. For Makhmudov, it presents an opportunity to announce himself on the world stage against one of the most recognizable names in the division.
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