'I have his word': Turki Alalshikh claims Tyson Fury will return to boxing in 2026

Saudi Arabian boxing chief Turki Alalshikh claims Tyson Fury has given him assurances he will return to the ring in 2026.

Fury retired from the sport following December’s rematch to Oleksandr Usyk, which ended with a second successive loss to the Ukrainian via the judges' scorecards.

And he is still yet to face off with long-term British rival Anthony Joshua, who was dealt a devastating stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley last year.

“The ‘Gypsy King’ will be back,” Alalshikh said in a social media post. “I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026 … We have a rabbit to hunt.”

Fury often referred to Usyk as a "rabbit" in the build-up to their title fights, both of which were held in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Alashikh's message more than hinted at a trilogy bout between the two fighters regarded as the best heavyweights of the past decade.

In a post on Instagram, Fury wrote "Let's see what 2026 brings" over a photo of him shaking hands with Alalshikh, who is chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.

Alalshikh has been the key figure in bringing huge fights to Saudi Arabia, making the Kingdom a premier destination for major sporting events.

However, Fury, a two-time heavyweight champion, suggested he might be more interested in fighting on home soil.

Speaking to reporters at an International Boxing Association event in Istanbul on Wednesday, the 36-year-old said: "Who would I rather fight, right now? Usyk. Because I want my revenge in England.

"I don't believe I've got a fair shout the last two times. That's all I want. I want a fair shout, and I don't believe I've got a fair shout the last two times.

"That's the one I want, but if I don't get that then it'd be [Anthony] Joshua, the biggest British 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, for sure, if I decide to come back."

It must be said that few observers believed Fury when he said he was retiring. The Morecambe heavyweight (34-2-1) has walked away from boxing several times over the years only to return to the sport.

In April, The National reported that streaming giant Netflix was interested in securing the rights to a Fury-Joshua fight following the success of the Mike Tyson v Jake Paul exhibition bout, which drew a staggering 60 million households worldwide last November.

Netflix will screen the third instalment of Katie Taylor's rivalry with Amanda Serrano on July 11, as well as a blockbuster September showdown between 'Canelo' Alvarez and Terence Crawford.

Usyk will become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion should he defeat Dubois at Wembley later this month.

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The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

Zayed Sustainability Prize

Clean water and solar homes: Zayed prize finalists present sustainability solutions

What is the Zayed Sustainability Prize?

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.

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THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

FIXTURES (all times UAE)

Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)

Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)

The alternatives

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• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.