Tyson Fury told to forget about boxing return after Oleksandr Usyk defeats

British boxing icon Amir Khan has cast doubt on Tyson Fury's return to the ring after suffering consecutive defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury faced off against Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight crown in May 2024, where he was narrowly edged out by a split decision. In their rematch seven months later, despite an improved performance from Fury, Usyk once again emerged victorious on points.

Just a few weeks after the second bout, the 'Gypsy King' announced his retirement, but over the last few months, he has hinted at a potential return to the ring.

Earlier this month, Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh confirmed Fury's boxing comeback, 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!" Despite this announcement, Khan remains sceptical about Fury's return to action.

READ MORE: Daniel Dubois told the one thing he must do to surpass Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

READ MORE: Oleksandr Usyk believes Daniel Dubois is 'afraid' ahead of heavyweight rematch

In a chat with Genting Casino, the ex-light-welterweight world champ expressed his doubts: "I don't think Tyson Fury will ever come back in my opinion. I don't think he'll come back. If he fights Usyk, I think Usyk wins that fight easily again. Maybe easier than the last two," reports All Out Fighting.

“Usyk has got his number, he just knows how to beat him and how to do well against him. Usyk obviously has the confidence and then you’ve got Tyson going off and being inactive. Usyk is still active, he's still training, still fighting, whereas with Tyson he's taking too much time out, and you're only getting older and slower, you're aging. You're not performing the same. And that’s when ring rust is going to kick in as well.”

It seems as if both Fury and Usyk will clash for a third time following Alalshikh's post that the latter will be making a stunning comeback in 2026. After going 24 rounds with the Ukrainian, the 'Gypsy King' remains adamant that he at least won the rematch back in December.

“My last fight was a clear f****** victory for The Gypsy King. Anybody in boxing can see that. A complete load of dogs***," he said. “I want a fair fight, I don’t want any favours, I want a fair fight and a fair result. Which I know I didn’t [get]. I thought I won it by five rounds. I watched it 250 times. Each way I never see it as a way for him to win. They can do what they want. If they say it’s Tuesday it’s Tuesday.”

When is Tyson Fury's next fight?

Following the announcement of his return to the ring, British boxing sensation Fury revealed that his third bout with Usyk is set for 18 April 2026 at Wembley Stadium. The 36-year-old shared a fight poster featuring him and the Ukrainian on Instagram, captioning it: "April 18, 2026 Wembley Stadium. The trilogy! UK. contact @spencerbrownmrgoldstar for tickets."

In response to Fury's post, Sergey Lapin, head of Team Usyk and CEO of Ready To Fight, issued a statement: "The idea of a third fight with Tyson Fury has been on the table between our teams ever since their second bout. And I have never had any doubt that, together with Goldstar Promotions, we could turn it into a reality."

He continued: "Right now, both Oleksandr Usyk and our team are fully focused on the upcoming fight with Dubois on July 19 and on achieving the historic goal of becoming a three-time undisputed world champion. As you've probably noticed, focus and total commitment are at the core of the champion's and the team's strategy. When this goal - three-time undisputed - is accomplished, and the dust settles, we'll be open for the next round."