As expected, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in England, Tyson Fury defeated Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov, returning to winning ways after a drought that had lasted since October 2023. The main event of the card, organized by Spencer Brown’s Goldstar, showcased a slightly rusty Gypsy King, who took longer than expected to figure out his opponent before going on to dominate the later rounds. These were the official scorecards, all in Fury’s favor: 119-109, 120-108, 120-108.
Makhmudov immediately welcomed Fury back to professional boxing with a right hand that landed just moments after the opening bell. The Russian tried to catch him off guard, charging forward aggressively to unsettle the Brit, who appeared tense and uncertain in the opening three minutes.
The Gypsy King began to adjust from the second round, breaking up his opponent’s offense with the jab and relying on his experience in the clinch, which was a recurring feature throughout the fight. Despite his physical strength, Makhmudov proved completely ineffective at close range, unable to prevent Fury from freeing his arms and working before the referee’s break.
Convinced he had taken control of the fight, Fury relaxed a bit too much and early in the fourth round was caught by a heavy left hook that put him on alert. Makhmudov tried to capitalize, landing more dangerous shots before the home fighter managed to regain control.
The Brit returned to using his experience and ring craft to slow the pace, before shining again in the sixth round, which he handled excellently as a pure outfighter, showing mobility, anticipation, changes of direction, and sharp counters.
Once again, however, Fury risked celebrating too early, as in the seventh round Makhmudov managed to land two quick right hands to the temple that could have been very dangerous.
After an exciting end to the eighth round, marked by open and intense exchanges, the Gypsy King realized his opponent was beginning to tire and decided to take advantage. In the final third of the fight, Fury simply pressed forward, exploiting the fact that Makhmudov no longer had the sharpness needed to catch him coming in.
With Fury constantly on top of him, the Russian had no answer but to clinch, doing so poorly from a technical standpoint and getting punished with countless uppercuts to the body, which further drained his energy.
In the closing stages of each of the final three rounds, Makhmudov appeared close to being stopped, overwhelmed by punches and unable to find any solution to Fury’s dominance. However, the Brit was unable to produce the final push needed to end the fight inside the distance.
Personally, I found the judges’ scorecards a bit too wide, with two of them even awarding all twelve rounds to the Gypsy King. In my view, Makhmudov won the first and fourth rounds, while the seventh was close. Still, Fury’s victory was never in doubt.
As expected, there was the usual post-fight moment, with the winner publicly calling out Anthony Joshua, who was seated ringside, loudly urging him to face him next.
AJ’s reaction, however, was extremely calm and controlled. The former Olympic champion declined to enter the ring, reminded Fury that he has been chasing him for ten years, and made it clear that, as the “boss,” he sets the terms and will decide when and how the fight happens.
Beyond the statements, which mean little on their own, it seems unlikely that Anthony Joshua will return directly against Fury. AJ last had a “real” fight in September 2024 and is coming off a deep psychological trauma after losing two close friends in a tragic accident that he himself miraculously survived almost unscathed.
Most likely, the British-Nigerian fighter will opt for an easier opponent to test his condition and regain his rhythm before turning his attention to the Gypsy King. In short, we’ll have to wait a little longer…