Former two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has confirmed one of the sport's worst-kept secrets: He'll be back in action again later this year, having repeatedly teased as much on social media during the run up to 2026.

Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) was last in action 13 months ago, when he lost an immediate rematch with Oleksandr Usyk for The Ring and unified world titles in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Seven months earlier, they faced off in a nail-biting 12-round affair, but the Brit was soundly beaten, leading many to believe he had physically declined and lost the fire that fueled him.

Although an Anthony Joshua fight was teased for September, provided both won interim fights in the coming months, that possibility has again been iced after news of Joshua's car crash in Nigeria on Monday, which tragically resulted in the deaths of two of his close friends.

Queensberry chief Frank Warren has always reiterated a willingness to see Fury return, provided he was still willing and able to do so, and doubled down in early October.

The Queensberry-backed star has posted a compilation video featuring him hitting pads, a heavy bag, doing an arm circuit alongside longtime cruiserweight contender-turned-heavyweight Kevin Lerena and more with an accompanying caption that reads:

"2026 is that year, return of the mac. Been away for a while but I'm back now, 37 years old and still punching. Nothing better to do than punch men in the face and get paid for it."

Having been criticised for looking more overweight than usual given his 6-foot-9 frame, he spoke about "sharpening edges" in another workout video posted on Instagram this week. He also declared he spent his new year grinding as the motivational messages filtered through, anticipating fight news or a concrete update in the coming weeks.