TLDR
- Arslanbek Makhmudov spent much of the press conference typing on his phone, appearing disinterested in Tyson Fury’s comments
- The press conference started 90 minutes late and failed to generate excitement two days before their Saturday fight
- Fury is coming out of his fifth retirement, citing Anthony Joshua’s car crash as motivation to return to boxing
- Discussions have begun about a potential Fury vs. Joshua fight at Croke Park in Dublin later this year
- Fury lost his last two fights to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024 and wants to knock out Makhmudov on Saturday
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | independent.co.uk | bbc.com
Arslanbek Makhmudov appeared uninterested in Tyson Fury’s words on Thursday, spending much of their pre-fight press conference typing on his phone. The unusual scene played out two days before the heavyweights meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
The press conference in Canary Wharf started 90 minutes late, with the fighters taking the stage after 7:30 p.m. The event failed to generate excitement among viewers and fell flat overall.
A language barrier exists between the Russian fighter and the British champion. However, Makhmudov’s distracted behavior may have reflected the general lack of energy at the event.
When asked about his opponent’s phone use, Fury simply said, “He’s beat.” The press conference ended on a lighter note when Makhmudov lifted Fury off the ground during their face-off.
CLASH OF THE GIANTS.
TYSON FURY vs. ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV
Saturday, April 11
LIVE only on Netflix
2 PM ET | 11 AM PT | 7 PM UK#FuryMakhmudov pic.twitter.com/MZosbQo7LE— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) April 9, 2026
Fury Explains Fifth Comeback
Fury, 37, is coming out of his fifth retirement from boxing. He will compete on home soil for the first time in three and a half years.
“People always question retirement for me; I’ve retired five times before and wholeheartedly meant it five times,” Fury told Netflix analysts. “After a few months, I’m like bored of the normal life – dropping the kids off at school, taking the dog for a walk, that sort of stuff – and I miss the game.”
Fury cited Anthony Joshua’s car crash in Nigeria in December as a defining moment in his decision to return. Joshua survived the accident, but his teammates Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele were killed.
“When I heard that news, it was so sad, and I thought to myself: ‘Life is so short,'” Fury said.
The “Gypsy King” promised to knock out Makhmudov on Saturday. “I’m gonna lay him unconscious on Saturday night at Tottenham,” Fury said. “He’ll be looking up, thinking, ‘What the f*** just happened there?'”
Fury lost his last two fights to Oleksandr Usyk by decision, both in 2024. He continues to insist he should have won both bouts and wants a trilogy fight with the unified heavyweight champion.
Joshua Fight Talks Underway
Despite focusing on Makhmudov, Fury addressed questions about a potential fight with Anthony Joshua. He remained tight-lipped at the press conference but acknowledged the possibility.
“Well, I don’t want to be mentioning anybody’s name and name dropping when I have got a dangerous heavyweight in front of me,” Fury said Thursday. “All those other t*****s can wait their turn to get a good hiding.”
Fury warned against overlooking Makhmudov, referencing Joshua’s unexpected loss to Daniel Dubois in 2024. “Many men have overlooked the first huddle at bigger names and been chinned…Anthony Joshua did that before,” he said.
Croke Park stadium chief executive Peter McKenna revealed that discussions have started about hosting a Fury-Joshua fight in Dublin. The Irish venue holds more than 80,000 spectators and has been identified as a potential location for the bout.
“The real hope is that we will get Tyson Fury here later on in the year,” McKenna told BBC Sport. “That would be such a world-billing event that we would be able to facilitate a Katie Taylor fight here.”
Fury later confirmed his plans on Ring’s YouTube channel. “As far as I am concerned, I will focus on this big Russian fella, then Anthony Joshua and maybe a third fight with Usyk,” he said.
The Saturday fight will stream live on Netflix. Makhmudov, 36, last fought in October when he outpointed Dave Allen. His record stands at 21-2 with 19 knockouts.
