Tony Bellew has named two heavyweights he would strongly advise Tyson Fury to steer clear of, at least until ‘The Gypsy King’ has had a tune-up fight.
The former heavyweight champion of the world, who officially ended a year-long retirement the other day, is expected to stage his comeback fight in the coming months.
Having not fought since his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, which he lost by unanimous decision in December 2024, Fury is unlikely to face an elite dance partner in his first fight.
Arslanbek Makhmudov, whose only two losses came against Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello, was named by promoter Frank Warren as a potential opponent.
The Russian heavyweight earns a points victory over Dave Allen and would be a considerable underdog against Fury even with the inactivity. This seems a completely realistic proposition for Fury, but other names are also being suggested.
In response to a social media post suggesting Fabio Wardley, Murat Gassiev, Tony Yoka, Martin Bakole, Kabayel, Vianello and Filip Hrgovic as potential options, former cruiserweight world champion Bellew commented on his thoughts, suggesting that fights with Wardley and Kabayel would be far too risky at this stage.
“Wardley and Kabayel are not the type of opponents to come back against after a long absence! He is more than capable of handling everyone else on this list, regardless of the absence.”
Wardley and Kabayel are not the type of opponents to return to after a long absence! He’s more than capable of taking care of everyone else on this list, regardless of the layoff, even I think.
-Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) January 8, 2026
Kabayel returns to action this weekend to defend his WBC Interim title against Damian Knyba. Wardley is mounting his first WBO defense. Although he has engaged in exchanges with Fury, this particular fight is much more likely towards the end of the year, if at all.
