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.
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
