Tyson Fury returns to the ring this spring and already has his sights set on another scrap with Oleksandr Usyk in a bid to avenge his previous two defeats to the Ukrainian

Tyson Fury has fought 37 times. He went 35 unbeaten until he fought Oleksandr Usyk. Of course he wants a trilogy bout, but winning it might be further away than it was in 2024.

Fury returns in April against Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov, who, despite standing 6ft 6ins tall and boasting 19 KOs in his 21 victories, would not trouble a fully functioning Fury. However, after 16 months out and rising 38, even Fury doesn’t know how much is left in the tank.

Fury relies on timing not brute strength. Being out for a long time hinders that timing, so when you stand in punching range you are the one getting nailed not your opponent.

Fury’s game is to jab then drop the right hand on you. To keep your opponent on the end of the jab requires the split-second distance control and spatial awareness that comes only with being active.

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Underpinning that is fitness and stamina. It’s all connected. I don’t know what Fury has been doing in ‘retirement’. You can be out running, doing circuits and spending time in the gym but without sparring and fending off punches, the marginal gains you need to win against elite opponents are just not there.

Though he has been back at it since the New Year and has time to get into fighting shape for April, this encounter is unlikely to give him the test he needs to establish what his post-retirement peak might be.

Makhmudov has an upright style and will be wide open to Fury’s right hand. His two defeats came against Agit Kabayel, the mandatory for Usyk’s WBC belt, and Guido Vianelli.

Kabayel blasted him out in four and Vianelli, a former European amateur champion and member of Italy’s 2016 Olympic squad, forced a medical stoppage. Journeyman David Allen also went 12 rounds with him last October.

Never for a minute did I believe Fury had retired. That’s just a card he plays. If he comes back and looks good he is in a strong position to land a world title fight.

But I would counsel against fighting Usyk a third time. He proved in successive bouts that he had all the answers to Fury. At this stage of his career Fury offers little we haven’t seen before and must first prove to himself that he is still a credible force.

To his credit Fury has always been honest with himself. He understands well enough that no sport reveals the truth of things like boxing.

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