Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov: Back a happy homecoming for the Gypsy King

Few people thought it would happen. Many more believed it shouldn't happen.

On Saturday evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London, Tyson Fury comes out of retirement once again. Unable to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labour, the former world champion takes on hard-hitting Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov over 12 rounds.

Is it a good idea? Tyson's father, John Fury, went on record to voice his disapproval. Dad believes son's best days are behind him, losing too much in five epic battles with Deontay Wilder and current world champion Oleksandr Usyk. If that's even remotely true, Team Fury is in for a tough night's work against an opponent with a 90% KO average.

Will the Englishman mark his return to Britain with a useful win that'll blast off the ringrust and edge him closer to another crack at major honours? Perhaps you expect the underdog to cause an upset, with Makhmudov taking a career-best win back to his base in Canada.

Fury winless since 2023

Fury last won on British soil back in December 2022 when destroying Derek Chisora inside 10 rounds. That showreel stoppage came at Saturday's venue when the Gypsy King successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title against WAR. Since that impressive result, Tyson has won once and lost twice on points in Saudi Arabia.

The 6'9" switch-hitter from Manchester landed the 34th win of his career when beating former UFC world champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh over 10 rounds. The victor that evening opened as a red-hot favourite with major bookmakers, but was pushed hard by Ngannou. Fury climbed off the canvas in round three to win on all three scorecards. Many fight fans considered it a hollow victory.

Is Fury about to stretch his record to 35-2-1 in a career that began in 2008? Betfair sportsbook traders believe so, pricing Fury as the 1/71.14 favourite. That's tight but understandable, and will appear in plenty of fight-night accumulators. Backers can aim higher in the method of victory market, with a KO/TKO win priced reasonably at 1/21.50.

Makhmudov targets a treble

Russian-born fighter Makhmudov travels to the United Kingdom for the second fight in a row. The 36-year-old arrives with a professional boxing record of 21 wins and 2 defeats. Lion has beaten 19 opponents inside the distance, resulting in a 90.48% knockout average. Both losses came by the same method, with the visitor stopped in 2023 and 2024.

Lion's most recent defeat came against Guildo Vianello in Quebec City, Canada, less than two years ago. He has boxed twice since, beating Ricardo Brown in Quebec and Allen in Sheffield. Those wins helped Makhmudov get his career back on track, and he's ranked 20th in the world. A win in London on Saturday would catapult him up the list.

Can Makhmudov upset Fury? He needs a few things to go his way on fight night, including hard evidence that Tyson is past his prime. If Fury is anywhere near his best, he'll win. If Fury is off the pace, rusty, or lazy, he'll lose. You can bet on Makhmudov to win at an eye-catching 4/15.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook. A stoppage win is as big as 6/17.00.

Back Fury inside the distance

Does Fury still have what it takes to compete at this level? Should he have stayed comfortable in retirement? That remains to be seen, but we'll get our answer as soon as the first bell goes to begin the bout. When predicting the outcome, we must trust that Fury wouldn't be here unless he were confident he would win. He wouldn't risk his legacy otherwise.

Keen to stick with the former world champion, I'm looking for the best way to back Tyson. His stats show a 71% knockout average. He stopped big names like Wilder, Chisora, and Dillian Whyte, each of whom is much better than Makhmudov. It's also worth remembering that the man in the away corner has already been KO'd by Agit Kabayel and Vianello. The underdog will be dangerous early, but the fav is experienced enough to stay out of trouble with his feet, and score with his jab.

Support Fury for a late stoppage, with rounds 9-12 trading at 4/15.00 when playing on the Betfair Sportsbook.

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