Tyson Fury offered private jet for 'farewell fight' as comeback plans emerge

With the news that Tyson Fury is making a comeback, International Boxing Association President Umar Kremlev has offered to fly the former heavyweight champion out to Moscow for one lucrative final bout. Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, took to social media on Wednesday to announce that Fury had informed him that he would return to the sport next year after months of speculation.

Rumours of just who Fury could face are now in overdrive after he announced his retirement from boxing in January of this year, one month on from his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. However, Kremlev, who welcomed Fury to Istanbul, Turkey, for the Golden Era event this week, took his opportunity to make an outlandish bid to have the 36-year-old fight on an IBA show - with a bout for the IBA heavyweight title also a possibility. To make it a reality, Kremlev even offered Fury and his family the use of a luxury private plane.

"We would love to bring Tyson to Moscow," said Kremlev. "We would love to make a professional fight for you [Fury] - a farewell bout, as the king of boxing. One final, beautiful fight to say farewell. You started your career with the IBA, so you have to complete your career with IBA."

He continued: "Just give me the date, and you can bring your team and family with you. We will send a jet to pick you up and bring you. We do not have bears walking around [in Moscow] - despite people's misconceptions - so please bring your family and your team."

Tyson, in attendance with his manager Spencer Brown, seemed eager to take up Kremlev's offer. "I was supposed to go (to Russia) four years ago," Fury said.

"I was supposed to go to the Red Square with a fur coat in the winter with the snow, before going to party in New Zealand. I'm filming a reality show with Netflix, [so] it would be very good to see Russia on the TV worldwide - 500 million, a billion people - very good for relations... so you give us a proposal, you speak to Spencer."

Alalshikh stunned the boxing world when he took to X to announce Fury's return. He also hinted that Fury will be gunning for Usyk, using the term "rabbit" - a word Fury has used to describe his 38-year-old rival.

Alalshikh posted: "The 'Gypsy King' will be back!!! I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026. We have a rabbit to hunt!"

Fury has also teased his return by posting training videos of himself in the gym. It looks like fans will now get their wish, however, as Fury has set his sights on a third clash with Usyk and a much-anticipated showdown with Anthony Joshua if the former doesn't happen.

"Who would I rather fight right now? Usyk. I want my revenge in England, that's all I want," Fury told Boxing News at the Istanbul event. "I want my fair shout, and I don't believe I've got a fair shout the last two times. I don't know what I'm going to have to do, because I can't let it go to a decision.

"That's the one I want, but if I don't get that then it will be [Anthony] Joshua, the biggest British boxing fight that will ever happen. It would break all records and it would sell out 100,000 at Wembley in an hour and it's a fight I think can happen, if I did decide to come back and the deal was right."

Usyk is getting ready to face IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium later this month. But Fury only has eyes for the Ukrainian, confidently dismissing the threat that Dubois could pose.

"If I did come back, hypothetically speaking, if I was to return and box Daniel Dubois, he wouldn't land a glove on me, it would be a one-sided beat-down," Fury said. "I wish him luck in his fight against Usyk, but styles make fights and his style and my style don't gel. I would annihilate him."

This will not be Fury's first foray back into boxing after retirement. He previously hung up his gloves in April 2022 after beating Dillian Whyte, only to return six months later to face Derek Chisora.