But he never got to defend the belts. Following injuries and other personal problems – he admitted publicly to struggling with depression – his contractual rematch with Klitschko never happened, and many thought he’d disappeared from boxing for good. But now he’s pulled himself back into fantastic shape, and he could be primed to forge a brand new path to world title glory.

Fury shared a picture of himself on his Instagram page last month looking lean and ripped – a far cry from the pot-bellied portrait Ricky Hatton shared just last November. The 6ft 9in heavyweight has clearly been working tirelessly to get himself back to his best, and could put himself on a collision course with Haye-slayer Tony Bellew or Anthony Joshua should his comeback go according to plan.
 

Fury is now being promoted by Frank Warren, who is determined to return his man to superstardom – a journey that will start on the undercard of Terry Flanagan’s world super lightweight title bout with Maurice Hooker.
 

It’s a humble beginning for Fury, but one which should serve to ease the 29-year-old back into the world of professional boxing. Let’s not forget his impressive record: he’s won every one of his 25 pro fights, with 18 of those wins by knockout, and among his scalps are Christian Hammer, Kevin Johnson, Dereck Chisora (twice) and of course Klitschko. And his lengthy break has just made him hungry to add to the list.

So what kind of opponent is he facing in Seferi? The 39-year-old's record is equally impressive at 23-1 with 21 knock-outs. He has spent the majority of his career fighting at cruiserweight and remains undefeated in that category. It was only when he moved up to heavyweight that he was dealt his one and only loss so far – against Manuel Charr in 2016. He's toppled two opponents since then, so should not be underestimated!

While Fury’s unique personality means he isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, there’s one thing no one can argue with – he makes boxing more entertaining. Having him back to his brutal best will make this Saturday a fight night you definitely won’t want to miss!

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