After a second points loss to heavyweight rival Oleksandr Usyk for three of the four major world titles in December 2024, Fury confirmed the end of his professional career the following month.

But Fury, who said he was bowing out of the sport after beating Dillian Whyte in April 2022 only to return later in the year, posted on Instagram on Sunday: “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.”

Fury’s history of retirement followed by u-turn meant few believed his most recent claim to end a career that had brought 34 wins in 37 contests and a couple of stints as a world champion.

He was incensed at the judges’ decisions in his twin defeats by Usyk, the only boxer to beat Fury, who said in last year’s retirement message: “I’m going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask.”

But the self-styled Gypsy King fuelled speculation of another comeback over the festive period by posting several clips on his social media feeds of himself in training.

Despite insisting he had bowed out of the sport, Fury has been repeatedly linked with a long-awaited all-British bout against Anthony Joshua, another former two-time world heavyweight champion.

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The pair agreed to a fight in August 2021 when they held all the major world titles between them, but that was scuppered when Fury was ordered to take on Deontay Wilder for a third time by an arbitration hearing.

Plans were in the pipeline for Joshua and Fury to have tune-ups in the early part of this year before finally facing off against each other, either in late summer or towards the back end of 2026.

However, the car crash in Nigeria on Monday which left Joshua injured and led to the deaths of two close friends and team members has likely put boxing on the back burner for the 36-year-old.

If Joshua is unavailable, Fury could seek a trilogy fight against WBC, WBA and IBF titlist Usyk or a contest with WBO champion Fabio Wardley. A win over either would see Fury join Muhammad Ali as a three-time world heavyweight champion.