Fury says 2026 will be his final year
Tyson Fury claims this year will be the last of his career. The Gypsy King faces Mariusz Wach in Thailand today and is due to fight Anthony Joshua before the end of 2026.
Fury, 37, retired for the sixth time last January before again reversing that decision barely a year later. The former unified heavyweight world champion returned to the ring after 16 months away in April with a unanimous decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Fury fights Wach a day before Joshua takes on Kristian Prenga, with the British duo expected to face each other later this year. It is Joshua's first bout since last he was involved in a devastating car crash last year, which saw his two close friends Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami pass away.
Speaking before his second fight of 2026, Fury told
The Sun:
"This is my final year. That's why I want to be active. I don't want to go on until I'm 65 years old."
He then confirmed:
"This is the last year, yeah. Final year, 26."
Fury hinted at a busy autumn and winter, saying:
"I just want to keep busy, keep active. It's not about money, it's not about belts, it's about nothing now. "It's about enjoying my life and enjoying my career and doing what I love to do. That's boxing training, so maybe I'll do quite a lot this year."
Fury has not fought more than twice in a calendar year since 2018. On that occasion, he was also coming out of retirement, after two-and-a-half years away. There were two warm-up fights against Francesco Pianeta and Sefer Seferi in the summer before taking on Deontay Wilder.
If he is to fight four times in 2026 and rematch Joshua, that would be the first time he has done so since 2011. Fury was fighting for British and Commonwealth titles at the time, beating Derek Chisora for those two belts. However, one of those bouts was over ten rounds, rather than 12. He has had only one 10-round fight since then, against Francis Ngannou three years ago. Any bout with Joshua would also presumably not be over anything less than 12 rounds.
Details about the prospective fight are still to be confirmed, with the hope that they will be announced after both of them come through their bouts this week. Turki Al-Sheikh announced in April that Netflix would broadcast it, but a venue remains unconfirmed. Joshua's promoter has previously said that the contract specifies the United Kingdom. Al-Sheikh acknowledged earlier this month that Wembley Stadium would be his preferred host this month.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page
Negotiations over Fury-Joshua continue
The prospect of Fury and Joshua meeting later this year remains one of the biggest talking points in British boxing, with the pair expected to face each other after their respective bouts this week. Fury's comments have added fresh intrigue to a fight that has been discussed for years, while the timing of his latest retirement claim raises fresh questions about how long he intends to continue at the top level.
The former unified heavyweight world champion has repeatedly stepped away from the sport only to return, and his latest remarks suggest he wants to keep active while he still feels able to do so. For Joshua, the situation is equally significant as he prepares to step back into action for the first time since the devastating crash that changed his personal circumstances last year.
With Fury in Thailand against Wach and Joshua facing Kristian Prenga, the focus now is on both men getting through their assignments before any announcement is made on the expected showdown. The broadcast deal involving Netflix, confirmed by Turki Al-Sheikh in April, has already given the proposed fight a major platform, but the venue is still to be confirmed.
Wembley Stadium remains the preferred option mentioned by Al-Sheikh earlier this month, while Joshua's promoter has insisted the contract specifies the United Kingdom. For now, however, all eyes are on Fury's fight today and the possibility that 2026 could indeed be his final year in boxing.
