Tyson Fury has quite a bit of weight to shift.
The controversial heavyweight hasn’t fought in almost two years but he’s taking his return seriously, with the ultimate goal of meeting British rival Anthony Joshua in 2018 dependent on several factors.
Fury will first have to shed the considerable weight he’s put on in his time away from the ring, having ballooned up to 27 stone, and he recently told Dereck Chisora that he has a further seven stone to lose.
And the extreme extent of the fitness challenge facing ‘2 Fast’ became clear to all on Thursday, when Ricky Hatton posted the below picture to social media.
My & my mate @Tyson_Fury @HattonGym today. Both in the shape of our lives. Bring it on.🥊 pic.twitter.com/GGuTRvjLMc
— Ricky Hatton MBE (@HitmanHatton) November 23, 2017
He’s clearly eager to get back to work and, earlier this week, Fury didn’t hesitate to throw his hat in the ring for a clash with Tony Bellew next May but that offer wasn’t accepted by the Liverpudlian.
So while he remains without an opponent to prepare for, Fury continues training hard in the hope of getting back into fighting shape, and the 29-year-old received some good news in the form of confirmation of a date for his UK Anti-Doping hearing.
Who would bet against me on getting back to this shape? pic.twitter.com/o2YGbQ7hip
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) November 22, 2017
Fury remains without a boxing licence and the first step in getting it reinstated is to be cleared by UKAD, a process which will get underway next month.
“December, that’s true,” British Boxing Board of Control general secretary Robert Smith told Sky Sports of the scheduled hearing.
“The reason why this has taken so long, so I have been led to believe, is because Mr Fury’s legal team could not agree a date for the recommencement of the hearing. They obviously now have, and the hearing will recommence.”