Thailand hosts Tyson Fury bout as Briton weighs in lighter than opponent Mariusz Wach

By Harry Sutton — 23 July 2026 — 3 min read

Tyson Fury weighed in lighter than his opponent, Mariusz Wach, for their upcoming fight in Thailand on Friday. This marks the first time in 15 years that Fury has been lighter than his opponent at a weigh-in. The Briton registered a weight of 18st 13lb (120kg), which is 26lb less than Wach’s 20st 11lb (132kg).

The heavyweight bout will take place in Pattaya in front of approximately 1,500 fans and will not be broadcast by a television network. Fury, who is 37, will face the 46-year-old Wach. He expressed his satisfaction with his weight, stating, “I’m Mr Slim now. I’m delighted to be here and there are fans here from all over the world.”

Preparation for a Major Showdown

This fight is only the fourth occasion in Fury’s professional career spanning over 17 years and 38 professional fights where he has weighed less than his opponent. His previous instance was during his initial fight against Derek Chisora in 2011. He also weighed less than John McDermott and Daniil Peretyatko in earlier career bouts.

Fury arrived at the weigh-in wearing a designer robe and a large cross chain. He engaged in light-hearted banter with Wach during their face-off before they posed for photographs. For this fight, Fury is 3lb lighter than he was for his last appearance against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April.

The bout against Wach is seen as a low-risk, low-key tune-up fight for Fury, intended to prepare him for a proposed showdown with Anthony Joshua. Promoters have indicated that a defeat for either Fury or Joshua in their warm-up fights could jeopardise the highly anticipated match.

Wach, who has a professional record of 39-13 (20 KOs) from 52 fights, has experienced losses to fighters such as Hughie Fury, Dillian Whyte, and Frazer Clarke. He also suffered a points loss to Wladimir Klitschko in 2012. Wach enters this contest having lost seven of his past 10 fights, including a knockout defeat by Moses Itauma two years ago.

Reasons for the Thailand Location and Broadcast Decision

The decision to hold the fight in Thailand stems from Fury’s training base in the country. The location allows him to prepare without the extensive travel demands typically associated with promoting and participating in fights. The event will take place at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, with ticket profits being donated to local charities. Fury is also set to receive the inaugural WBC Humanitarian title on fight night.

The fight will not be broadcast live, a decision influenced by the desire to minimise risks ahead of the potential Joshua fight. While live broadcast revenue will be forgone, footage from the Wach fight is expected to be featured in the third season of Fury’s Netflix series, At Home with the Furys. This arrangement is anticipated to help recoup some of the financial shortfall from the lack of live broadcast revenue.

Fury has expressed his desire to remain active, stating, “I want to keep busy. I’m not banking on any fight that may or may not happen.” He added, “This is the year I want Tyson Fury to stay busy. I may even have 10 fights this year.” He aims to box for 10 rounds, but is also open to an earlier finish. The fight is scheduled to begin around 10pm local time (4pm UK) on Friday, with Fury unusually being the first fighter on the card.

Source: bbc.com