Eddie Hall names illegal move he has to cut from his game before boxing return against Tommy Fury

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Eddie Hall must relearn clinching ahead of the Fury fight

If Eddie Hall wants to stay out of trouble against Tommy Fury, he’s going to have to work on his clinch game.

Hall, who won the World’s Strongest Man title in 2017, has spent the past two years focused on MMA. He made a quick impression with a debut win in early 2025 and is now set for a boxing return against Tommy Fury at Manchester’s AO Arena on June 13.

His only other boxing match was against Hafthor Bjornsson back in 2022, which came after a bicep injury had limited his training time. Since then, he’s become more comfortable in MMA, originally picking it up while preparing for a strongman event that ended up being cancelled.

Eddie Hall is adjusting to boxing rules as he prepares for his fight

Switching between boxing and MMA is no small task, despite the crossover between the sports in recent years. One of the main differences comes down to how the clinch is handled. In MMA, it’s a crucial part of the game, but in boxing, it’s much more restricted.

Hall spent years getting ready to use his size advantage by throwing knees in preparation for his KSW bout. But against someone like Fury – who once withdrew from a fight with Darren Till over concerns about being kicked – he has to be extra careful to stay within the rules.

“It’s been tough,” Hall told Bloody Elbow of the transition. “MMA is a completely different ballgame. Two days a week of jiu-jitsu, two days of standing and fighting and using your feet as well obviously for head kicks and body kicks or whatever.

“So it’s been tough to transition back. You’ve got to forget some things, I’m quite used to getting into the clinch and kneeing someone in the ribs.

“I’ve actually done it once or twice in sparring recently and I’ve got to get it out of my head. I’m boxing now, not doing MMA… There’ll be no kicks from me, trust me.”