Tyson Fury has re-entered the WBC heavyweight rankings following his comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov last month in London, climbing straight to the number one position in the sanctioning body’s latest monthly update released on May 6.
Fury, now 35-2-1 with 24 knockouts, bumped previous number one Lawrence Okolie to second place. Okolie’s status is complicated by a recent positive test for a banned performance-enhancing drug that could affect his ranking going forward.
The climb to number one is notable but does not immediately alter Fury’s competitive path. He is not currently pursuing the WBC belt, which remains with Oleksandr Usyk, the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion who also holds the IBF and WBA titles and remains the lineal and Ring Magazine champion. Usyk is set to face kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven in a crossover boxing match on May 23 in Egypt.
The WBC also has interim beltholder Agit Kabayel at 27-0 with 19 knockouts, who would receive first access to Usyk should a title fight be ordered or the belt vacated. Fury’s number-one ranking would theoretically place him next in line after Kabayel, but he is instead committed to his long-awaited fight with Anthony Joshua, which is expected to take place in Britain in November.
The full WBC heavyweight rankings behind Fury and Okolie are as follows: Moses Itauma at number three, followed by Joshua, Filip Hrgovic, Deontay Wilder, Efe Ajagba, Martin Bakole, Richard Torrez Jr., Richard Riakporhe, Andrii Novytskyi, Frank Sanchez, Bakhodir Jalolov, Guido Vianello, and Labinot Xhoxhaj.
Fury previously held the WBC title during his first reign before suffering back-to-back losses to Usyk in 2024. He had also held the IBF, WBA, and WBO titles after defeating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 before stepping away from the sport amid a period that included a positive test for a banned substance.