No Country for Old Men: Why Fury’s Mooted UFC Swansong Will End in Disaster
Tyson Fury’s retirement saga is always defined by the same question: how long before he announces his return? The heavyweight boxer has a well-established track record of reneging on retirements which is why no one in the combat sports world is taking his latest announcement too seriously.
Fury Still Tipped to Fight
Tellingly, you can still find odds on Fury fighting Anthony Joshua, with the 36-year-old priced at 2/5 in the latest Paddy Power boxing betting odds to win what would be a long-overdue bout between the two Brits. Fury’s low odds may surprise some, especially given his back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk where his performances were marred by lethargy.
In this instance, a £10 bet on Fury to win at 2/5 would return a £4 profit while a £10 on Joshua to win at 2/1 would return a £20 profit. In short, these odds suggest that the expectation is a retired Fury can still hold his own in the boxing ring.
However, if reports are too believed, this isn’t where Fury is aiming to make his comeback as the heavyweight eyes an MMA showdown with Jon Jones in the Octagon as a way of bringing the curtain down on his career.
The reality is that a UFC swansong against “Bones” might just be the biggest misstep of Fury’s career.
A Worrying Trend
Fury’s desire to try his hand in the Octagon is well-documented and before his heavyweight crossover fight against Francis Ngannou, it seemed like a genuine possibility. After all, Fury had shown explosive power against the likes of Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte, with Fury knocking out the latter in just six rounds at Wembley Stadium in April 2022.
Notwithstanding this impressive display, the cracks began to show in his credibility after his controversial split decision win against Ngannou, where Fury was, in the eyes of many, outboxed by the Cameroonian.
Notably, Fury was even knocked to the canvas by Ngannou despite their bout being the former UFC champ’s first professional boxing match.
Table Tennis champion of the world ☝🏿 #FuryNgannou pic.twitter.com/HmMZCcVYfR
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) October 29, 2023
Doubts about Fury’s commitment only grew following his consecutive defeats to Usyk in 2024. Once again, Fury’s timing and speed were off as he laboured in the ring against an opponent who was simply more determined.
To now imagine that version of Fury stepping into a steel cage against Jones—arguably the greatest fighter to ever step into the Octagon—is a worrying prospect.
The Inescapable Truth
MMA at the highest level is brutally unforgiving with anyone who is not completely committed to the cause at risk of getting hurt.
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) November 23, 2024
Unlike the comfort of the Saudi Arabian Pro League or PGA Tour Champions, where past sports stars gather to wind down in a cushy environment, MMA is a vicious survival-of-the-fittest battle that only rewards those who are willing to dig deepest.
For Fury, it’s simply not worth the risk this late in the day of his career.
