It took over five years, but it finally happened. Tyson Fury has arrived in the US. And who would have thought UFC CEO Dana White would be the one to make it happen? If you are watching the UFC Freedom 250 card live, like thousands of others, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. But when Fury initially revealed it, it sort of was. 

“Tyson Fury here, the Gypsy King, just stepped foot on US soil,” Fury said in a video shared by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. “It’s been five and a half years since I knocked out that big bum Dosser, Deontay Wilder, and I’m back. The smell of freedom is in the air. Big shout-out to Turki Alalshikh for making this happen. God bless you all. Come on.”

The Saudi Royal, of course, has been collaborating with Dana White for a while. Alalshikh allowed Zuffa Boxing, led by White, to promote the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight last year. Then he joined forces with TKO Group to launch the new Zuffa Boxing league. With Fury alone, Alalshikh helped make the fights against Oleksandr Usyk. They then went on to orchestrate the Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov bout in April at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in ‘The Gypsy King’s return to boxing.

Still, Fury’s involvement in the Freedom 250 card came to light when Michael Bisping shared a picture with ‘The Gypsy King’ on social media. 

“2 Lancashire lads bumping into each other at the White House,” he wrote. “Mental. Never know who [you’re] gonna run into here.”

Despite that, no one expected what followed next. The former WBC heavyweight champion walked directly out of the White House and into the makeshift arena on the South Lawn, leaving fans stunned and applauding. This marked the end of his travel restrictions, which extended to his half-brother Tommy Fury, to America.

He was blocked from traveling to the United States in early 2022 due to his former association with alleged Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan and the organized Kinahan cartel. The crime boss, known for his connections in boxing, was supposedly helping Fury put together the showdown with Anthony Joshua at the time. After jumping through a lot of hoops, the ban appears to have now been completely lifted for some reason. Yet, when on the sidelines of UFC Freedom 250, Jon Anik asked him about an announcement he is supposed to make about himself and Dana White, he simply teased it without revealing the particulars.

“I think I will let Dana do the speaking,” Fury revealed. “[It’s a] massive, massive announcement.”

Although Fury declined to reveal what the announcement was about, the most obvious possibility is a move to Zuffa Boxing. Dana White has been aggressively building the promotion’s roster, signing notable names such as Jai Opetaia and Conor Benn, among others. With White continuing to recruit top talent, Tyson Fury could be the latest star to join the roster.

Tyson Fury and Dana White may work together

Reacting to the tease, veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani shared his opinion on the matter. He viewed Tyson’s presence at the White House event as a move to show which side ‘The Gypsy King’ has chosen in the promotional battle that is happening in boxing after Zuffa’s arrival. 

“…Perhaps a hint as to whose side he’s on in the great promoter battle of 2026,” Helwani wrote. 

But even Helwani wasn’t happy about being left high and dry by ‘The Gypsy King’.

“Feels like the second time in a couple months an announcement regarding Fury was tee’d up … and then didn’t happen.”

If Fury does sign with Zuffa Boxing, he would only be the latest name to be added to Zuffa Boxing’s roster. They previously signed Chris Billam-Smith, Shakur Stevenson, Edgar Berlanga, Richardson Hitchins, and Otto Wallin. And with this new signing, Zuffa Boxing could turn out to be the co-promoters for the Anthony Joshua fight. 

However, it remains unclear what this will mean for Fury’s contract with Queensberry Promotions. From the looks of things, Dana White may have snatched another fighter from the big traditional boxing promotions. However, only time will reveal the true nature of the announcement Tyson Fury teased with Dana White.