The accident, which left two people dead, was Fury’s “biggest turning point” in his decision to return to the ring.
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Published February 17, 2026
British boxer Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua’s car crash in Nigeria that killed two people was a “tipping point” in his decision to return to the ring.
Fury’s compatriot and former heavyweight champion Joshua suffered minor injuries in an accident in Nigeria in December that killed strength and conditioning coach Sheena Ghami and trainer Latif “Rats” Ayodele.
A week later, Fury announced his return. Plans to fight Joshua this year were put on hold, but Fury acknowledged how his former rival was instrumental in his return.
“The biggest turning point for me in this comeback was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua,” Fury told reporters at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Fury (34-2-1) will end his 15-month retirement from the ring when he takes on Russian-born Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-2) in London on April 11.
“I was on holiday in Thailand with my family over Christmas to escape the rain. I was tired of the rain and depressed. Then I heard the bad news every day and thought, ‘You know, life is very, very short, very precious, very fragile, and you never know what can happen at any moment.’
“You should never put things off until tomorrow, next year, next week, because tomorrow is never promised to anyone.
“That’s when I decided I was going to go back to boxing because it’s something that I love, that I’m passionate about, and that I’ve always been passionate about. There’s no tomorrow. So I came back today.”
Fury, 37, announced his return from his most recent retirement in January. It will be the former two-time world heavyweight champion’s first fight since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.
“Since retiring for the fifth time over a year ago, boxing has gone downhill for me and has become quite boring,” he said. “I’m coming back to make boxing great again.”
