Tyson Fury is targeting a fight with British rival Tony Bellew if he is cleared at a UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) hearing Dec. 11, which he insists would be the toughest fight on his return.
Fury, who signed for MTK global last week, has not fought since defeating Wladimir Klitschko by unanimous decision in November 2015 and can't until he is cleared by UKAD.
He has already called out Bellew, but took to social media again, calling Bellew -- who was set to fight David Haye Dec. 17 before the latter withdrew -- a "chump".
@TonyBellew let's get ready to rumble #ReturnOfTheMack #Unleash2018 pic.twitter.com/vcNt0Ckpaj
— TYSON2FASTFURY (@Tyson_Fury) November 27, 2017
Fury, likened his two years without a fight to when Mohammed Ali's boxing licence was suspended for three and a half years for not enlisting in the Armed forces, telling iFL TV: "The truth will come out sooner or later and when it does and they set me free, this is like a Mohammed Ali story".
And if he is cleared next month, Fury thinks a fight with Bellew is the biggest fight he could get as a return fight.
"I have been out of the ring for two and a half years don't forget through no fault of my own. And to come back with somebody on as high a level as Tony Bellew, would it be a suicide mission. A match-fit heavyweight, former cruiserweight champion, and the man who beat "the great David Haye".
Fury was due to fight Haye twice but Haye pulled out on both occasions, which led the Fury camp to consider legal action. But Fury also considers a potential fight with Bellew as a chance to get payback on Haye.
"That could possibly be the toughest fight out there for a return fight after a two and half year layoff. But it is a fight I would be interested in. Because if I beat Tony Bellew, not only does it give me a victory over the great David Haye, it also gives me the opportunity to take money out of "the great David Haye's" pocket like the great David Haye did to me.
"It would be a little bit of payback, and therefore he wouldn't get his retirement cheque. Therefore he would have to go and do something else and that would make me very happy. I would risk losing a fight to get vengeance on the great fighter David Haye, who is always injured."