An emotional Tommy Fury dedicated his victory in his boxing comeback to Molly-Mae Hague during a sincere and heartfelt post-fight interview.
The former Love Island contestant made his unexpected return to the ring on Friday night in Budapest against Kenan Hanjalic.
Fury likely felt nervous before entering the ring after his 18-month break from the sport.
However, he skillfully outboxed his Bosnian opponent, Kenan Hanjalic, securing a unanimous decision win. This victory marked his first since defeating KSI in October 2023, pushing his undefeated record to 11-0.
The 26-year-old Fury was visibly emotional after having his hand raised and paid tribute to his girlfriend Molly-Mae, who recently confirmed they have reconciled, in his post-fight speech.
He stated: “I just want to thank the Lord Saviour Jesus Christ for this victory, without him, none of this would be possible.”
“I want to say hello to my beautiful baby girl, Bambi, at home. And my sweetheart, Molly. She`ll always be mine forever.”
“And I want to dedicate this to my mother and father because without them, I wouldn`t be breathing. I wouldn`t be here.”
“The reason I am here today is my mother and father. I will love them until the day I die and I owe them everything.”
Fury then bravely spoke about his personal struggles with depression and alcohol.
“I`ve been through a hell of a lot these last two years,” he shared. “I`ve been through things that tear men down.”
“Drunk, an alcoholic; I lost my family for a little bit.”
Tommy Fury SHOVED by opponent Kenan Hanjalic as face-off for comeback fight turns tense
“But I`ve turned things around, I`ve gone from being low to being on top of the world again.”
In the opening round, Fury adopted a cautious approach, using probing jabs behind feints. Hanjalic was content to stay on the back foot and occasionally launched strategic attacks.
Fury`s speed advantage was evident in the second round, with his in-and-out movement causing frustration for Hanjalic. The jab remained Fury`s most effective tool against Hanjalic`s struggles with its speed, although Fury`s more telegraphed right hands were often avoided.
Fury allowed Hanjalic back into the fight later in the round by easing off the pressure, allowing the Bosnian to close the distance and engage in clinches.
In the third round, Fury attempted to unleash his punches more, but found himself repeatedly caught in energy-draining clinches.
An accidental low blow from Fury resulted in a pause in the fight, much to the clear frustration of his father and trainer, John Fury.
A bloodied Hanjalic recovered but appeared reluctant after the restart. Fury landed a powerful right hand midway through the fourth round, which visibly shook Hanjalic.
However, Hanjalic`s moment of success was undone seconds later when he was deducted a point.
Fury`s most significant punch of the fight came shortly after with a sharp left hook. Despite this, he failed to follow up effectively, drawing frustration from his corner.
His father John urged him to “relax with his shots” before the fifth round. Tommy attempted to comply in the brief moments he wasn`t tied up in a clinch by Hanjalic.
Instead of seeking a decisive finish in the final round, Fury chose to operate on the back foot and counter-strike. This invited more pressure from Hanjalic, who was rocked by a big right hand moments after taking a body shot.
But Fury remained elusive enough to avoid any last-ditch efforts from Hanjalic, securing his 11-0 record.
Before leaving the ring, Fury had some pointed words for his rival Jake Paul, stating: “Jake Paul`s a b***h and he`s running scared.”
“Jake, the hand`s fixed now, baby. The hand`s fixed.”
“I fought a guy in here tonight who`s had over 100 amateur fights and is experienced as hell and he`s as tough as teeth.”
“If Jake Paul wants to step inside this ring, I guarantee you next time I`ll knock you spark out.”
Oliver Croft