Amir Khan on Tyson Fury’s Comeback, Deontay Wilder, and Dana White

British boxing legend Amir Khan sat down with Hard Rock Bet to discuss the current heavyweight landscape as Tyson Fury prepares to return to the ring against Arslanbek Makhmudov.

In addition to assessing Fury’s chances of becoming a three-time world champion in 2026, Khan also weighed in on Anthony Joshua’s future, his friendship with the 2012 Olympic champion, and the upcoming showdown between Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora.

Outside of the heavyweight division, Khan shared his thoughts on Dana White, calling the UFC promoter “incredible,” predicting he will become just as successful within the boxing fraternity.

Tyson Fury’s comeback, Anthony Joshua’s future, Wilder vs. Chisora, and why Dana White is ‘incredible’

Amir Khan discussed Tyson Fury’s latest comeback twist and the uncertainty surrounding Anthony Joshua’s next move. He also weighed in on the upcoming Wilder vs. Chisora bout and praised Dana White’s impact on the fight community.

Can Tyson Fury win another world title ahead of yet another comeback?

It’s a tough one because it depends on who the world champions are. At the moment, you have Oleksandr Usyk, who has cleaned up the division, and nobody is ever going to give him any problems. But when it comes to the other fighters out there, if the titles become vacant, then yes, he definitely has a chance.

A massive fight would be Fury against Anthony Joshua after his comeback against Makhmudov. His opponent is obviously a strong, tall guy who comes forward, but he is very robotic and can be hit easily. So with Tyson’s style, it’s a tailor-made fight for him. When it comes to that next step up, if Usyk vacates his titles, then a massive fight would be Fury vs Joshua [for a world title].

I know Joshua has gone through a very tough time, losing his best friends, and it’s horrible to see. So we don’t know what is in his mind or if he is ever going to come back. Sometimes, in a position like that, the only thing that can help you is boxing. I think boxing is the only place that can make him feel better and content.

For Tyson, he has a massive opportunity because he is such a big name and has big options to fight whoever he wants. When he looks to land a world title fight, it will be very easy for him because, in the heavyweight division, he is one of the top names and has nothing to worry about.

Do you think Anthony Joshua will return, and have you spoken to him recently?

We’re close enough that we might send each other messages, but that’s about it really. He is doing his thing and I’m doing my thing. We have that mutual respect for each other. The last time we spoke was around three months ago in Dubai.

He spent some time in Dubai and we had a conversation about why I moved to Dubai and why I am here in Dubai. He was also talking about investing here as well. On the business side, we had a very good chat.

What made me laugh was that he was really impressed with what I have done and made in my career. He was really impressed and talking about some of the massive fights I have had. It was nice to acknowledge those massive fights we have had because of the massive names we have fought, and the career I have had. A lot of professional fighters would never have recognized that, but he did.

He has done a lot in the sport, becoming a two-time unified world champion. He was sitting next to me talking about my fight against Zab Judah, saying, “When you fought Zab, that was a great fight, and what you have done is incredible.” It was just nice. We were sharing memories of fights with each other, and you could see he knew a lot about my fights.

I wish him all the very best because what he has gone through over the last few months is very hard, especially being away from home and not having his loved ones around him. I can’t imagine what he has gone through. I do feel for him, but he is a strong character, and I have seen that he has tried to get back on with his life. He is very strong.

Who do you see winning between Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora?

I like Derek Chisora in that fight. I like both fighters, but I think Chisora has that confidence and wants to win badly, whereas for Deontay Wilder, that hunger is not in his belly anymore.

Not because he is bad, but a guy like Deontay has made a lot of money in the sport and has been at the highest point in boxing. He has fought the biggest names in boxing, and Deontay Wilder will probably see this fight as going back one or two steps.

Sometimes that can be the biggest downfall because when you overlook an opponent, you can get hurt and beaten. I just feel as if Derek Chisora can beat anyone and wants to prove himself, and on the last few occasions, he has. It could be a massive shock.

Dana White has revealed a first world title under Zuffa Promotions, what do you make of it?

I think sometimes before it gets better, it is going to get worse. He is at that stage where things will eventually get better and better. He wants the best vs. the best, and Turki Al-Sheikh has shown that and made it happen. Money talks at the end of the day, and he has had the best fight the best.

With Dana, he has proven himself by taking the UFC to a different level. The UFC is a massive company that Dana started, and he wants to do the same with boxing, so definitely [he can do the same].

If he manages it the right way, like he did with the UFC, and doesn’t rush and takes baby steps, then he will get there. He is an incredible promoter. The UFC is huge because of what he has done and how he promoted it. You think of the UFC when you think of MMA. It is early at the moment and will take some time. They may need to be busier, though.

You only hear the name Zuffa now and again, but you want to hear it all of the time. It is a very big company and, if he wants it to get to the UFC level, then he can.

It is all in Dana’s hands, and he has done it before. It depends on how he does it, and he has to do it quickly because boxing fans might move on to something else quickly, so he has to push it.