Tyson Fury will face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 in London, headlining a boxing card that will stream live on Netflix. The former heavyweight champion is already looking beyond that matchup, making clear that Anthony Joshua remains the fight he wants most after this comeback bout.
That matters because the heavyweight division is still chasing the one British super-fight that somehow never happened in its prime window. Even now, Fury vs. Joshua would be one of the biggest events the sport can make, especially for American audiences who have followed both men through years of stalled negotiations, title swings, and public callouts.
Fury said belts are no longer his main motivation at this stage of his career. Instead, he wants the biggest attractions available and said he is prepared to fight as many as three times in 2026. His priority, he said, is finally making the Joshua bout that has been discussed for roughly a decade.
He also made it clear he expects to handle Joshua convincingly, though he left open the possibility of a rematch if their first meeting turns into a competitive event. Before any of that can happen, however, Fury says he must first get through Makhmudov in London.
From a divisional standpoint, the stakes are obvious. If Fury wins and looks sharp, pressure will only increase on all sides to finalize Joshua next. If he struggles against Makhmudov, the appeal of that mega-fight changes from legacy showdown to risk assessment. For Makhmudov, this is a chance to wreck the entire script and catapult himself into the elite heavyweight conversation in one night.
There is also something Fury still needs to prove. After years of turbulence in and out of the ring, he is trying to show he can still command the division’s biggest stage, not just its loudest headlines. On April 11, the first test is Makhmudov. After that, everyone will be watching to see whether Joshua is finally next.