Tyson Fury says weight never mattered before his comeback

It’s a familiar line from Tyson Fury, but it also points to the real question hanging over his return. The issue isn’t whether Fury has won fights while carrying weight. He clearly did. The problem is time.

Fury says he weighs around 20 stone and expects to weigh less than 19 stone for his return, which he is targeting for the first quarter of 2026. That would put him around 16 months out of the ring by the time he boxes again, at an age where inactivity tends to come on quicker and stay around longer.

There is precedent for long absences. After beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, Fury disappeared for over two years and came back significantly heavier. This return worked because the division was slower and the demands lower. This version of Fury could afford to fix the problems.

His most recent testimony is less lenient. Fury weighed in at a career-high 281 pounds for his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024. The weight itself was not the problem. He fought competitively and had moments. The margins were slimmer, however.

The only time Fury’s condition clearly betrayed him was during the 2023 fight with Francis Ngannou, when preparation seemed casual and consequences followed. That night was important because it showed how quickly his style collapsed without discipline.

At around 265 pounds, Fury would be close to where he was for Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora ​​and Deontay Wilder’s first win. This weight has already worked.

Fury’s body has already survived criticism; what he hasn’t proven is that he can still benefit from elite timing after 16 months away.