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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7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: AF Ensito, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
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8.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Baaher, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
9pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Mootahady, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
9.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Dubai Canal, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Al Ain Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Harrab, Bernardo Pinheiro, Majed Al Jahouri
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Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
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Cons Flaherty
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
1st Test July 26-30 in Galle
2nd Test August 3-7 in Colombo
3rd Test August 12-16 in Pallekele
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The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset was due to a personal matter.
