Tyson Fury Announces Retirement from Boxing After Losing to Oleksandr Usyk

British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from professional boxing on January 13, after suffering a second consecutive defeat to Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk.

The 36-year-old Fury made the announcement via a video on his Instagram, stating, “I’m going to keep it short and sweet: I’m announcing my retirement from boxing. It’s been explosive, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” and concluded with the phrase, “Dick Turpin wore a mask,” a likely reference to the disappointment following his recent performances. He also said, “I’m going to keep it short and clear, but I would like to announce that I’m leaving boxing.”

Fury’s retirement follows a loss to Usyk in their December 2024 rematch in Saudi Arabia, where the Ukrainian secured a unanimous decision victory. This defeat came after their first encounter in May 2024, in which Usyk won by split decision to claim the undisputed heavyweight title. As a result, Usyk retained his WBC, WBA, and WBO belts.

Fury’s decision to retire marks the second time in recent years he has made such an announcement. In April 2022, following a victory over Dillian Whyte, Fury declared his retirement, only to return to the ring six months later.

Throughout his career, Fury has achieved significant success, including winning the IBF, WBA, and WBO titles from Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. However, he was later stripped of these titles due to issues related to banned substances. Fury returned to the sport in 2018 and regained the WBC title in 2020 by defeating Deontay Wilder in a rematch. He held the WBC title until his recent loss to Usyk.

With 34 victories (24 by knockout), 1 draw, and 2 losses, Fury’s career has solidified his place as one of the prominent figures in heavyweight boxing.

Earlier on December 21-22, 2024, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in their highly anticipated rematch at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.