“I feel absolutely sorry for anyone who wants to fight me this year. You’re all in trouble,” said Tyson Fury. “A poor old Makhmudov. He’s next. You won’t be able to beat me. Someone’s going down. Timberrrr.”
The confidence sounds familiar, even if the circumstances surrounding Fury have changed. Reaction from fans has been skeptical, with much of the discussion aimed not at Makhmudov, but at Fury himself and what remains of him as a fighter.
At 37, after multiple retirement announcements and two losses to Oleksandr Usyk, Fury is being evaluated through a harsher lens. Questions about age, time away, conditioning and motivation replaced the usual bravado, and they didn’t fade with another practice clip or social media post.
Fury’s last three fights have shown changes that are hard to dismiss as his reactions slowed, his legs looked less reliable and he spent longer stretches absorbing pressure instead of going the distance. Losing weight can improve stamina, but it doesn’t erase mileage, and heavy weights rarely disguise decline once it starts to appear.
That reality explains why the Makhmudov fight is being watched more closely than a routine comeback fight. On paper, Arslanbek Makhmudov relies on size and strength rather than art, and the real test is how much more Fury has to give to contain him.
Fury has come through shaky moments before on instinct and durability, even when his preparation has been patchy. At this point, needing time to settle against a limited opponent would raise questions that didn’t exist earlier in his career.
Fury has earned the right to talk trash, but social media clips don’t decide fights. This comeback comes down to whether his 37-year-old body can still deliver what it promises once the bell rings.
A win alone might not settle it anymore. At this point, how he looks matters more than the result because there are no easy explanations left if the performance falls short.
