Tyson Fury W12 Arslanbek Makhmudov... Ex-heavyweight champion Tyson Fury returned from retirement – again – as he claimed victory over hard-hitting Russian contender Arslanbek Makhmudov in his comeback fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The fight viewed like a fighter shaking off his ring rust as Fury gradually worked his way into the fight through the dangerous early rounds, tested his skills through the middle rounds, then started to mix up his footwork and hand speed in the later rounds as he outclassed a dangerous, if largely one-dimensional, opponent. Makhmudov’s sole tactic was to barrel forward, throwing winging overhand shots, and whenever Fury deployed lateral movement, he had the Russian swinging at air.

 

By round eight, Fury was in full control, and could barely miss with his shots on his slowing opponent, who seemingly had no answer to the former world champion’s skills, movement and conditioning, with Fury carrying his pace through to the later rounds. After comprehensively outboxing Makhmudov through the first 10 rounds, Fury was told by his coach SugarHill Steward to go for the knockout, and he finished round eleven landing big shots on the almost-static Russian.

 

And after a twelfth round that saw Fury dominate the action, including connecting with a number of thumping upper cuts on Makhmudov’s granite chin, the action went to the judges’ scorecards. The result was a formality, with the scorecards reading 120-108 (twice) and 119-109 to Fury, who returned with a landslide decision victory to potentially tee up an all-British heavyweight superfight with his longtime rival, Anthony Joshua.