Fury unlikely to be world champion again - Wardley

If Tyson Fury beats Arslan Makhmudov on Saturday, I wouldn't be surprised if he calls me out - and I'd 100% be up for that fight later in the year.

In fact, I was pushing for Fury as an opponent before we announced my upcoming fight with Daniel Dubois.

I was the one saying yes, and he actually was the one that said: "Let me have a little time, I've had a year out, let me have a warm-up."

Of course, the priority for me will always be an undisputed fight against Oleksandr Usyk - I want to test myself against the best in the world - but if Fury does his thing and, God willing, I defend my belt against Daniel Dubois next month, then we can have a conversation.

I never actually expected Fury to stay retired. It's great to have him back, active, posting on Instagram, doing his shout-outs and whatever he does.

He is the biggest crossover star in British boxing - the guy with his own Netflix reality show, the guy who fought in the WWE.

I didn't really feel like he was gone, more that he was just taking a break, as he does. When he said he was retired, I thought: "We'll see you in a year."

But although it's good to have him back in a boxing ring, in the current state of the heavyweight division, I can't see how Fury becomes a world champion again.

He would have to fight either me or Usyk - and do I think he can beat either of us? No.

If the titles get fractured - if Usyk is stripped of a belt for one reason or another - and Fury fights someone like Lawrence Okolie or Agit Kabayel for a vacant title, then yes, he can become champion.

Regardless of the belts, there will always be an appetite for him to fight Anthony Joshua as well.

No matter what, they could be 50 and if we haven't seen it, we'd still want to see it. It would generate huge public interest.

Makhmudov tailor-made but Fury should retire if he loses

Image caption,

Makhmudov has two losses on his record, including to Agit Kabayel in 2023

Makhmudov is a very well-picked opponent for a number of reasons. He looks and sounds the part – a strong, aggressive and powerful Russian - but stylistically he's kind of perfect for Fury.

What Makhmudov does is relatively simple. He lacks agility and punch variation. Don't get me wrong, if he clocks you, it hurts and you will feel it - but for Fury, someone who's always on the move and hard to pin down, an opponent who is a bit heavier on his feet is the right fit.

If I were in Makhmudov's corner, I'd say rush him - not blindly, but get close, get on his chest and get in front of him. Makhmudov is a big, weighty, strong guy and he needs to use that. At range, 100 out of 100 times he will lose - Fury will just pick him off and break him down.

His best bet is to get close and just keep working. Body, arms, shoulders, head - wherever. Just keep working for 12 rounds and see if that long lay-off takes a toll on Tyson.

There's always that concern about complacency, and we saw with Francis Ngannou that Fury switched off and got caught. At this stage of Fury's career, there's no space for error. He has to get it right. But I think he'll have learned his lesson there.

Fury says he's training himself for this fight - whether that's true or not, we don't know. He knows his body better than anyone, and while an elite fighter can do that, whether it's the best course of action is another question.

We're here to find out what version of Fury we're going to see - the fleet-footed mover, or someone who has made a conscious decision to flatten his feet and rely more on upper-body movement.

But I do think Fury wins on points - decisive, pretty clean and pretty comfortable. Not easy, but comfortable.

If he does lose, though, I feel like that's the end of the road for the Gypsy King. I can't see him re-climbing the ranks and building himself back up.

He probably should retire in that scenario - but knowing boxing and Fury, I don't think he would - he wouldn't want to leave the sport like that.

Fabio Wardley was speaking to BBC Sport boxing journalist Kal Sajad.