Fury’s return wouldn’t be comfortable against Makhmudov

Makhmudov is not a standard focus option. Now 36 years old, he stands just over 6’5″ and regularly enters the ring above 260 pounds. This reduces the physical margin that Fury often enjoys and limits the effectiveness of tactics that have worked for him in the past. The leaning approach Fury used against Deontay Wilder relied on exhausting opponents. Makhmudov’s base and leg strength make him a much less reliable shot.

There is also the question of style. Arslanbek Makhmudov fights in close combat and throws heavy clubbing punches rather than looking to box from a distance. He doesn’t wait. He steps forward and swings. For a fighter walking away from the ring, that kind of pressure can be unforgiving.

Fury’s recent mileage can’t be ignored either. Three fights with Wilder followed by two demanding fights with Usyk took their toll. Asking 37-year-old Tyson Fury to absorb that kind of weight and power early in a comeback introduces real risk, regardless of the value of the name.

Logan highlighted Fury’s advantages, particularly at long range, calling him the best distance boxer in the division outside of Usyk. He suggested Makhmudov would have little choice but to come forward, creating exchanges rather than a slow build.

“He won’t have to go get it,” Logan said in the interview with Aerial sports. “I think it would be a really entertaining fight.”

Entertaining, perhaps. Comfortable, much less secure.