Fighting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fury delivered a composed and commanding performance to secure his first victory since his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in October 2024. That loss had denied the “Gypsy King” a chance to reclaim the WBC title, but he showed no signs of decline in a bout he ultimately controlled from the middle rounds onward.

Makhmudov started brightly, pressing forward aggressively and forcing Fury onto the ropes in the early exchanges. However, the Russian struggled to inflict meaningful damage as Fury gradually imposed his superior ring craft.

Once Fury established his jab and controlled the distance, the fight tilted decisively in his favour. Switching stances with ease, the 37-year-old Briton mixed head and body attacks, punishing Makhmudov whenever he attempted to clinch. As the contest wore on, Fury’s dominance became more pronounced, with the Briton picking his shots and rarely looking troubled.

All three judges scored the 12-round contest comfortably for Fury, returning verdicts of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109.

But it was what happened after the final bell that electrified the crowd.

With fellow Briton Anthony Joshua watching from ringside, Fury seized the microphone and issued a direct challenge.

“Next, I want to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for. I want you AJ, Anthony Joshua… the Battle of Britain. I challenge you… do you accept my challenge?” Fury declared.

Joshua, a former unified heavyweight champion, declined to be drawn into an immediate verbal exchange but signalled his willingness to finally settle the rivalry in the ring.

“Tyson, I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you,” Joshua responded. “I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years… when you’re ready, come and see me.”

The exchange has once again fuelled anticipation for what could become the biggest fight in British boxing history, with fans hopeful that negotiations—after years of near misses—can finally deliver the long-awaited showdown between the two heavyweight giants.

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Fury, 37, has come out of retirement for the fifth time in his career to get back into the ring at ​the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and is looking well beyond ​the weekend.

“I’ve got Arslanbek Makhmudov to think of on ⁠Saturday night, but all going well (Joshua is) the fight I ​want next,” he told BBC radio on Wednesday.

“I know he just ​had his fight with Jake Paul, whatever… a fight’s a fight, really. So yeah, I’ll be ready for that straight away after this.”

Joshua, 36, ​last fought in December when he dealt American Jake Paul ​a reality check with a savage sixth round knockout in Miami.

A few days after ‌that, ⁠the former WBA, IBF and WBO champion was taken to hospital in Nigeria following a car accident that killed two close friends.

American former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder has also called ​out Joshua for a ​long-awaited matchup after ⁠beating Briton Derek Chisora on a split-decision last Saturday.

Fury, who has not fought since losing to ​Ukraine’s reigning world champion Oleksandr Usyk in December ​2024, ⁠dismissed the idea of that happening.

“I’ve never seen two men slide as much as these two,” he said of the Wilder v ⁠Chisora ​bout. “They look like a couple of club ​fighters from a white-collar match in a local leisure centre. It was sad ​for me to watch.”

-Reuters

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The boxers, aged 40 and 42 respectively, threw hopeful knockout punches and barely jabbed. Both slipped and fell to the canvas frequently during the bout at the O2 Arena on Saturday.

Wilder got the only knockdown in the eighth round, sending Chisora through the ropes, but the American was deducted a point in the same round for pushing. Chisora was rattled, but Wilder did not press his advantage.

Wilder dominated the early rounds, and Chisora rallied late. The judges were split in their scoring: Wilder received scores of 115-111 and 115-113, and the third picked Chisora by 115-112

Wilder said the fight was fun and suggested he didn’t want to knock out Chisora.

“Tonight, I looked out for him. I want him to live for his kids,” he told broadcaster DAZN. “It’s time for us to take care of each other.”

Chisora said in the build-up that the fight was to be his last, but the Londoner was reluctant to confirm it afterwards.

“I’m going to go home with the boss lady and see,” he told DAZN. “I’m going to go home and drop the kids, do the school run.”

It was the 50th fight for both in the professional ranks.

Wilder improved his record to 45-4-1. The WBC titleholder from 2015 to 2020 came to London having lost four of his last six fights.

Chisora’s record since 2007, when he turned pro a year before Wilder, dropped to 36-14. He lost his only two title shots against Vitali Klitschko in 2012 and Tyson Fury in 2022.

-The Associated Press

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Mayweather, 49, and Pacquiao, 47 announced last month that they would meet at the Sphere ​in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming ​globally on Netflix.

However, Mayweather told Vegas Sports Today last ⁠week that it would be an exhibition bout, not ​a real fight, and that a venue had yet to ​be decided.

“If that’s what he is feeling but he signed for a real match. The contract that we signed is for a ​real fight,” Pacquiao told local media on Thursday. “He has ​to remember that.”

Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, ‌defeated ⁠Pacquiao in a 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century”.

Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions and a producer for the event, said the agreement was for a fight.

“No ​one in ​these last three ⁠months has brought up anything related to the venue or related to the fight ​not being a professional fight,” Mathur told ​ESPN.

“His team ⁠has had all the contracts. He signed all the contracts.”

Reuters has requested comment from Mayweather’s camp.

The 2015 bout between the ⁠boxers ​generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view ​buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

-Reuters

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Reacting swiftly, the NBBofC has dismissed the reports as misleading, warning that any such move could destabilise the established structure of the sport in the country.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Board reaffirmed its statutory authority as the sole body responsible for the regulation, control, and sanctioning of professional boxing in Nigeria.

“The attention of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control has been drawn to insinuations that another body intends to assume regulatory authority over professional boxing in Nigeria. We wish to categorically state that such claims are unfounded and should be disregarded,” the statement read.

The Board stressed that the NBF’s mandate is confined strictly to amateur boxing, in line with global sports governance frameworks, and does not extend to the professional ranks.

NBBofC President, Rafiu Ladipo, warned that any attempt by another organisation to assume control of professional boxing could trigger administrative conflicts, weaken regulatory standards, and expose athletes to unnecessary risks.

The Board also cautioned promoters, managers, and boxers against engaging with unauthorised bodies claiming regulatory powers.

“We advise all promoters, managers, and boxers to remain vigilant and not be misled by such insinuations. The NBBofC remains fully committed to its responsibility of regulating and sanctioning professional boxing in Nigeria in accordance with established rules and international best practices,” the statement added.

Observers within the boxing community note that clarity in regulatory authority is critical—not only for safeguarding athletes but also for ensuring fair competition and maintaining Nigeria’s credibility within the global boxing ecosystem.

For now, the NBBofC has reiterated its resolve to continue overseeing professional boxing in the country, even as stakeholders await further clarification on the reported position of the NBF.

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The Ukrainian three-times undisputed champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO belt.

The 39-year-old has not boxed since beating Britain’s Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium last July.

“I respect his (Verhoeven’s) journey – he’s truly the ‘King of Kickboxing’. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings,” said Usyk, who has a 24-0 record.

“I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming.”

The ‘Glory in Giza’ fight will be streamed live on DAZN.

“I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven, 36, told The Ring.

“But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger; it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed champion in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”

Verhoeven has sparred in the past with former champion Tyson Fury and had one professional bout in 2014, which he won by a knockout.

-Reuters

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The fight marks Mayweather’s return from retirement and will be the first professional boxing match held at the Sphere.

Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in their 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”

That bout generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result,” Mayweather said in a statement.

Pacquiao, whose record stands at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts, expressed confidence he would hand Mayweather his first professional loss.

“I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him,” the Filipino fighter said.

The rematch will stream to Netflix’s more than 325 million subscribers worldwide, continuing the platform’s push into live boxing.

The streaming platform has recently broadcast several high-profile fights, including Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, which the company said drew 108 million live global viewers

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Before his official return, Mayweather is set for an exhibition bout with fellow boxing great Mike Tyson, with the date and venue still to be announced.

“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing – from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards – no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event – than my events,” Mayweather, 48, said in a statement on his new promotion’s website.

It will mark the American’s fourth comeback from retirement, following previous exits in 2007, 2015 and 2017 — the last after beating Conor McGregor to extend his record to 50-0. He has, however, fought several exhibitions since.

Across a three-decade career, Mayweather defeated many of his era’s top fighters and headlined the three highest‑grossing bouts in history, against Manny Pacquiao, McGregor and Canelo Alvarez.

-Reuters

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Fury, 37, announced his return from his latest spell of retirement last month. It will be his first fight since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.

“He’s really got the bit between his teeth, he’s training hard in Thailand, he’s got himself in good shape,” Fury’s promoter Frank Warren told Sky Sports.

“He looks after himself, and he is in shape. He’ll be in fight mode, ready to go, and he’s out to prove a point.”

-Reuters

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Joshua, 36, sustained minor injuries in the crash in Nigeria, which killed his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami and his trainer Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele.

“It’s tough. It’s really tough. I’m not going to sit here and show all of my emotions,” Joshua said in the video posted on social media.

“One day my time will come, and I’m not scared at all.

“It’s actually comforting knowing I got two brothers on the other side.

“I’ve lost people before, but I don’t think I’ve lost people like that. My left and my right.”

The accident occurred just a week after Joshua had knocked out Jake Paul in a bout in Miami. He is expected to fight fellow Briton Tyson Fury this year but his next bout has not been announced.

-Reuters

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