“I’d say he’s on the highest three or 4 most positively,” Browne stated. “We’re 5 – 6 opponents. Yeah, he could be within the high.”
Makhmudov is the kind of heavyweight who forces honesty. He doesn’t give away quiet rounds or enable opponents to settle behind a jab. At 36, he’s shut in age to Tyson Fury, carries real energy, and has the scale to make Fury work from the opening bell. This isn’t a younger fighter being fed to a veteran. It’s two heavyweights in the identical bodily window, with one coming back from inactivity and the opposite constructed round stress.
Fury is now 37 and has not fought since asserting his retirement in January 2025. His final totally convincing efficiency got here in April 2022 towards Dillian Whyte. The 2 losses to Oleksandr Usyk confirmed a fighter who may nonetheless assume his manner via rounds, however not management distance with the identical certainty. The reactions slowed. The timing slipped. The perimeters narrowed.
The shortlist itself is revealing. Alongside Makhmudov, names similar to Efe Ajagba and Tony Yoka have additionally been mentioned. All are bodily heavyweights. None recommend a delicate re-entry.
There’s additionally a sensible purpose for the urgency. The long-expected combat with Anthony Joshua is at the moment unavailable following Joshua’s critical automobile accident in Nigeria final month. With that route closed, Fury wants a return that stands by itself.
From a technical standpoint, Makhmudov is an announcement alternative. Most tune-ups are constructed round survival. Makhmudov is constructed round injury. If Fury’s reactions resemble what they have been within the second Usyk combat, this turns into greater than a scoring train.
Latest footage from Thailand suggests the menace is being taken severely. Fury has appeared leaner than typical, sparring with fighters similar to Kevin Lerena and Yihang Yang, pointing towards preparation centered on resistance reasonably than optics.
This return is not about sentiment. It’s a test. If Fury handles a reside heavyweight early, the comeback positive factors credibility. If he can not, the dialog modifications quick.
