Tyson Fury made a surprise appearance at the UFC White House event on Sunday, walking out at Freedom 250 on the South Lawn and teasing a forthcoming announcement involving UFC chief executive Dana White. It was Fury’s first appearance on American soil since the Deontay Wilder trilogy bout in October 2021.
The card, staged to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and held on Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, gave the British heavyweight his own ring walk and an on-air interview with UFC commentator Jon Anik on Paramount+. Fury arrived in a suit and a trucker hat reading “Donald Trump for Prime Minister.”
Teasing a Dana White announcement
“It’s been a long time, and boy oh boy am I happy to be here for this historic event,” Fury told Anik. Asked about his plans, he directed attention to White. “I think I’m going to let Dana do the speaking, I’ll let him do the announcement, but it’s a massive, massive, massive announcement,” Fury said.
No formal announcement followed on the broadcast, and no contract or fight was confirmed during the event. Fury appeared to tease a working relationship with White’s Zuffa Boxing promotion but stopped short of saying he had signed. White, who co-founded Zuffa Boxing with Saudi official Turki Alalshikh, claimed earlier in the week that he was the lead promoter for Fury’s planned bout with Anthony Joshua, a characterization that Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn rejected.
Years of U.S. entry problems
Fury’s return to the United States ended a stretch of several years during which he was kept out of the country. In June 2022, he was refused entry while attempting to board a flight in Manchester, in reporting that tied the decision to his past association with Daniel Kinahan. The U.S. Treasury had sanctioned Kinahan that April over his alleged role in an organized crime group, offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on its senior figures. Fury, a former client of Kinahan’s MTK Global management company, has denied any business dealings with him, saying in 2022 that he had “absolutely zero” involvement. In a social media video posted before Sunday’s event, Fury credited Alalshikh with resolving the matter, saying, “Big shout out to Turki Alalshikh for making this happen.”
Comeback win and a signed Joshua bout
Fury, now 35-2-1 (24 KOs), returned to the ring in April after a 16-month retirement that followed back-to-back decision losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. He defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision over 12 rounds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on a card streamed by Netflix, with two judges scoring it 120-108 and the third 119-109. Joshua watched from ringside, and Fury called him out after the final bell.
That contest has since been agreed. Fury and Joshua are signed to meet in a heavyweight bout expected to take place in November, with Netflix holding broadcast rights, after Hearn announced the deal in late April. Joshua is scheduled to return first against Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25. A venue for the Fury fight has not been confirmed, with Wembley Stadium reported as the leading candidate.
Fury has also spoken of a tune-up bout in August, with reports placing it in Dublin. He remains promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, the promoter he signed with ahead of his 2018 return.
