Tyson Fury dismisses father’s assertion of being ‘past his prime,’ asserts ‘I will remain unchanged’

Tyson Fury maintains that he is not past his prime as he prepares for his upcoming return against Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11.

The two-time world heavyweight champion will step into the ring for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision defeat to world No. 1 Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, marking his second consecutive points loss to the Ukrainian.

Fury’s father, John, who has supported his son in various bouts over the past decade since Fury first claimed the world title with a points victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, recently stated that Tyson was “past his best.”

However, Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs), 37, from Morecambe, England, asserts that his previous two matches do not indicate any decline in his abilities and that he remains in “excellent” condition.

“I’m the same fighter [as I was five years ago], I’m the same fighter I’ve always been, same OG,” Fury told ESPN.

“In the next five years, I will still be the same, always.

“It’s a different individual — one was in his early 20s [when Fury faced Klitschko] and the other is in his late 30s [when Fury fought Usyk]. Thus, it’s not the same fighter, not the same performance, not the same size of opponent, and not the same style of opponent. Klitschko was 6-foot-6 and formidable, while Usyk was a smaller southpaw and also formidable.

“But I believe I performed exceptionally well in both bouts against Usyk. If you appreciate slick counterpunching and boxing against an opponent who is difficult to hit, then you would favor the first fight. If you prefer a fighter on the offensive, attacking down the middle, then you would prefer the second. Both were outstanding performances.

“I’m thrilled with those performances. I can’t change the fact that I didn’t get the decisions. However, in my view, I performed excellently in those matches. I don’t feel that I’ve regressed or that I’m too old or anything like that. I believe they were prestigious performances, and if I had received the decision, no one would have said anything, would they?

“We are constantly evolving as fighters and individuals, always changing and learning. Even at the age of 37, there is always something new to learn daily. I’ve always been a genius in the boxing ring, I’ve always been adept in that environment.”

Fury aims to overcome Makhmudov and subsequently face Usyk again later this year, preferring the bout to take place in the UK rather than in Saudi Arabia, where he has fought in his last three matches. Fury also expressed his willingness to fight English rival and former champion Anthony Joshua, who was involved in a car accident in December that resulted in the deaths of two of his friends.

“I will get that fight [against Usyk], who else is he going to face? I’m the cash, I’m the cash flow in the division,” Fury told ESPN.

“Who else are they going to fight? At this level, it’s all about money. I don’t see him fighting anyone else who could generate the same revenue as fighting me. And we have unfinished business; I believe I won the first two encounters. However, I prefer not to fight in the Middle East; I want to compete somewhere in the UK or Europe. The time zone is challenging for me, and it doesn’t feel like me over there [in Saudi Arabia].

“After Anthony’s tragedy, I haven’t been pushing the issue, but let’s see how he feels. If he wants to return, then that’s great, but if he chooses not to, that’s also fine. It’s not something I’m going to hold my breath for. We’ve been on the verge of that fight about five times, and it still hasn’t materialized.”

Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), 39, who will defend his WBC world heavyweight title against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23, has set his sights on three more fights before retiring — but Fury is not placing a time limit on how long he has left in the sport.

“I won’t set an age limit or a number of fights; I’ve retired multiple times, and who knows, I might retire after my next bout,” Fury told ESPN.

“I’m focusing on this formidable Russian knockout artist who is here to take me out. It’s a challenging fight; I have been out of the ring for 16 months already, and I might get knocked out, who knows, and then I can target nothing. That’s why I prefer not to discuss potential opponents or targets until I have achieved what I’m currently aiming for, which is defeating Arslanbek Makhmudov. I plan to fight as often as I can in 2026.

“I’ve known Arslanbek for a long time; he was ranked No. 1 or 2 in 2023 for the world heavyweight title when I was the WBC champion, so I have been aware of him for a while, and I’ve watched all his notable fights. He’s a large, dangerous puncher, a giant heavyweight at 6-foot-6, a knockout artist with a powerful right hand. While he may not possess the best footwork, not many giant heavyweights do. Nevertheless, he is big, strong, and competitive.”