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Some late drama has arose ahead of the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov main card.

Fury returns to the ring for the first time in 16 months when he faces Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London this evening.

While most of the attention is on Fury’s comeback, and Conor Benn’s return, the event does feature a number of other interesting match-ups, one being a heavyweight bout between Frazer Clarke and Justis Huni.

There has been developments ahead of the contest though, after it was reported by journalist Dan Rafael that Matchroom Boxing has sent a legal letter stating they still have Huni under contract and haven’t given consent for the fight against Clarke to take place, despite some negotiation efforts.

“BREAKING: Matchroom Boxing on Saturday, hours before heavyweight Justis Huni is supposed to face Frazer Clarke on the Fury Makhmudov card in London, sent Goldstar Promotions and Tasman Fighters a legal letter claiming it still has Huni under exclusive contract.

“Matchroom claims after Huni’s last fight, a KO loss to Fabio Wardley, that it elected to continue its deal with Huni and that he is on fight No. 5 of a six-fight deal. Matchroom accuses them of tortious interference with its agreement and says it was never informed of the Clarke fight and has not given its consent to Huni to participate.

“It is threatening go to Netflix claiming it is about to air a fighter in breach of his contract with Matchroom, which would open Netflix to liability. Matchroom said it tried to work things out and sent a draft amendment in recent days saying it would allow the fight under certain conditions but has not heard back from the other promoters.”

As of now there has been no official word on the status of the bout, and it appears it will go ahead as planned, particularly following an update from Rafael after speaking to Goldstar’s Spencer Brown

Spoke to Spencer Brown of Goldestar Promotions as it relates to the Huni issue. He said he is the co-promoter of Huni and that the whole thing with Matchroom “is very silly, very petty and it will be sorted out.” #boxing#FuryMakhmudovhttps://t.co/MtNSZqv2i4

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) April 11, 2026

This is the latest controversy involving Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and this card, following on from the departure of Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing, who competes in tonight’s co-main event when he faces Regis Prograis.

Tenshin Nasukawa took a clear step toward a world title with a one-sided stoppage win over Juan Francisco Estrada, forcing the veteran to remain on his stool at the end of round nine in their WBC bantamweight eliminator on April 11 at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

The official time of the stoppage was 3:00 of round nine, with Estrada, 35, unable to continue after absorbing sustained punishment. Nasukawa, 27, set the pace from the opening rounds, using speed, footwork, and consistent body work to control exchanges and keep Estrada from establishing any rhythm over the scheduled 12 rounds at 118 pounds.

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Last Updated on 2026/04/11 at 11:42 AM

On Saturday night, Conor Benn faces Regis Prograis in the co-main event of the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov bill at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Ahead of the action, fan-favourite four-division champion Roy Jones Jr has shared his thoughts.

Benn has competed up at middleweight against Chris Eubank Jr in his last two contests and has not fought below 154lbs since he knocked out South Africa’s Chris van Heerden, almost four years ago.

However, Benn maintains that he plans to compete for Ryan Garcia’s WBC welterweight (147lb) world title later this year and is set to take on two-time super-lightweight world champion Prograis at a catchweight of 150lbs this weekend.

With Benn coming down in weight and 37-year-old Prograis coming up for this well-paid scrap, some fans are concerned that the latter could be in for a rough night, especially amid rumours of an injury sustained during training camp.

Yet, speaking on the All The Smoke Fight podcast, Jones declared his belief that Prograis would not proceed with a bout which he doesn’t think he will win, dismissing fans’ suspicion that the New Orleans operator is cashing out by accepting a showdown with Benn.

“It [a cash-out fight] happens for some people, but it is not happening for Regis like that. Regis is a pure, true guy, who wants to win. He is a winner. He is not going to cash out with nobody. If he comes in there, he thinks that he is going to beat you.

“With that being said, that is why it is also going to be a crossroads fight for Conor too. If Conor can’t dominate this fight, it is going to say ‘Conor, you ain’t what we thought you were’.”

The full Fury-Makhmudov card takes place on Saturday night and will be available to watch live on Netflix.

Former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion David Haye has revealed how he thinks a fight between Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua would play out.

Wilder and ‘AJ’ were linked to a major fight when both reigned as undefeated heavyweight world champions, with their showdown planned to be the first undisputed heavyweight title contest of the four-belt era.

However, the fight never took place and Oleksandr Usyk instead became the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis, when he trumped Tyson Fury in 2024.

Since losing their titles, there has been a noticeable decline in both Wilder and Joshua, but each man is now seeking to prove that they remain as a threat to the heavyweight throne.

Their meeting could now be on the cards once again, after ‘The Bronze Bomber’ defeated Derek Chisora on Saturday, and then crossed paths with ‘AJ’ in the aftermath of the bout.

Speaking to The Sun Sport, Haye tipped Joshua to come out on top if the pair do finally collide, believing that the Briton has taken less punishment than his perennial rival and that, at this stage of their careers, that would prove decisive against both Wilder and Tyson Fury.

“Wladimir Klitschko nailed him [Joshua] with some big shots and he really showed the heart of a lion. He came back and he ground it out. He has it in him. Obviously, you don’t want to be going to that place but you’ve got to be able to unlock it when it is needed and he has shown that he can do it.

“He knows, going into these fights against potentially Fury and Wilder, that he has it and he hasn’t had to use it that often. As far as damage done to him, he hasn’t had any types of fights where he has taken the same type of punishment that Wilder and [Derek] Chisora did in that fight on Saturday night.

“So, he is fresh, and that makes a big difference as fighters get older, how many shots you taken over the years, on your reflexes, your timing, your recovery, your future training. So, I think that out of the pack, I think AJ [will come out on top] because he has looked after himself.”

Joshua could yet fight on two occasions this year, with both outings taking place during the second half of the calendar.

David Benavidez has named the boxing legend who hit him the hardest.

Benavidez became the youngest super-middleweight world champion in boxing history when he outpointed Ronald Gavril via split-decision back in 2017, before capturing the WBC light-heavyweight crown last year.

Next month, the 29-year-old next makes the jump up to cruiserweight, where he attempts to dethrone unified WBA and WBC world champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in a captivating Cinco De Mayo clash.

Whilst many think Ramirez will be Benavidez’s most difficult test yet, the Phoenix-born phenomenon has shared the ring with legends behind the scenes.

Speaking on the ‘BS w/ Jake Paul’ podcast, Benavidez recalled the time he was hurt by middleweight great Gennady Golovkin when sparring ‘GGG’ as a teenager.

“I sparred him and when I first saw him getting ready he gave me the coldest stare. I will never forget it, he is not dogging you but he is looking at you like ‘yo, you are in for something right now’.

“This is why I stayed with Golovkin the whole time and why I became his main sparring partner; we were in sparring and we both went for the left-hook to the body at the same time and we both hit each other. Boom. I get hurt and he gets hurt.

“I know he got hurt because I heard him grunt and he hurt me, so we both just kind of looked at each other and stepped back. From there, I sparred him until I was like 20 years old, I was his main sparring partner.

“He was the hardest puncher that I have ever been in the ring with but he is also very intelligent.”

Kazakh powerhouse Golovkin is viewed as one of the best middleweights of all time, with 37 of his 42 victories coming by knockout.

He most memorable fights arguably came when he was involved in an epic trilogy against Canelo Alvarez, with the third meeting between the pair coming in September 2022, which has proven to be the last time that Golovkin stepped inside the ring.

Tonight in London, Tyson Fury marks his return with a fight against Russian powerhouse Arslanbek Makhmudov. Heavyweight great Lennox Lewis, who is working on the broadcast, has weighed in on the match-up.

Makhmudov fights in the UK for the second time, having beaten Dave Allen last year, hoping to upset the odds by capitalising on any ring rust Fury may show.

How the Brit performs will shape the remainder of his career – an impressive win making the long-awaited Anthony Joshua showdown much more likely.

Speaking to Sky Sports, former undisputed champion said that the danger presented by the Russian is exactly what Fury needs to perform well.

“Every time you come back, it’s always risky. I think this opponent for him is a risky opponent but I think it’s a great opponent for him because he’ll realise this guy’s got two dangerous shots to worry about. Other fighters that he’s been up against had a lot more than Makhmudov. So this is a good fight for him.

We’re in the backend [of Fury’s career]. Muhammad Ali retired at 38. That’s the same time I retired, at 38. So he’s still got a couple of years left.”

In a further prediction given to the BBC, Lewis backed Fury by stoppage.

“He’s elusive, moves well, he can throw great combinations plus he’s quick. I think he does it in round seven or eight.”

Makhmudov presents a threat with his size and power, but has fallen short at the top level in the past. For that reason he is a sizeable underdog, however, Fury has admitted even he does not know how the year out of the ring will affect him.

The fight tops the bill at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight, and will be streamed live on Netflix.

Conor Benn is adamant that welterweight is the division where he plans to capture a world title, but questions remain over how realistic it is for him to make 147lbs.

The Brit twice fought Chris Eubank Jr at the middleweight limit of 160lbs last year, losing the first and winning the second. This weekend, returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he will begin the journey back to 147 with a catchweight bout against former world champion Regis Prograis.

Speaking on the ceremonial weigh-in broadcast, Hall of Fame fighter Carl Froch asked Benn directly how his cut had been, and pointed out that his cheeks look ‘sunken.’

“You’ve got the size, the strength and the youth on him, but, to me as a fighter, you’re looking a bit sunken in the cheeks – are you okay with the weight? Are you still looking to go to 147 or are you looking to go 154 after this?”

Benn shrugged any concern off, revealing he had already put a significant amount back on from the official morning weigh-in and that he will be 100% fighting fit in the ring come Saturday night.

“I’ll definitely drop down to 147. You say sunken in the cheeks, I’m weighing at 165 right now. I don’t know what you mean sunken in the cheeks … For the past two years I’ve been walking round at 175. I definitely [feel strong and fit.]”

The fight, co-main event to Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov, sees Prograis moving up from super-lightweight. The 37-year-old has also been forced to answer questions on his condition throughout fight week, addressing behind the scenes rumours that he was almost pulled from the event due to injury.