Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is happening, but not until Joshua gets a chance to shake off some ring rust.
On Monday, Ring Magazine reported that the highly anticipated Fury vs. Joshua matchup is set to take place sometime in the fourth quarter of 2026. However, that will not be Joshua’s next bout as Ring Magazine also announced that Joshua will first fight Kristian Prenga on July 25 at an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN.
See the announcements below.
In a bout being billed as “The Comeback,” Joshua (29-4) takes on Albanian journeyman Prenga (17-1), who was last seen defeating Juan Torres via second-round knockout in January 2025.
While Joshua competed this past December, it was in a farcical bout with influencer boxer Jake Paul. Joshua was a massive favorite going into the contest and he toyed with a stumbling and bumbling Paul before finishing him with heavy punches in Round 6. Joshua’s most recent championship fight was in September 2024, when he was defeated by IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.
Prior to the Dubois fight, Joshua scored a knockout over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, but he has not beaten an experienced boxer since his win over Otto Wallin in 2023. Joshua fights for the first time since being involved in a car accident in Nigeria this past December that resulted in the tragic death of Joshua’s close friends and coaches Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
Prenga has won 13 straight fights dating back to 2017, with all of his victories coming by way of KO/TKO.
Prior to Monday’s announcements, Saudi Arabian boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh tweeted, “To my friends in Great Britain, it’s happening. It’s signed,” seemingly referring to the Fury vs. Joshua news. Fury acknowledged the comment on his Instagram.
Fury (35-2-1) is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in boxing history. After compiling a 34-0-1 record that included numerous championship victories, Fury suffered the first loss of his career when he dropped a split decision to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. The two rematched that same year, with Usyk winning again, and Fury subsequently announcing his retirement.
However, as he has many times in the past, Fury decided to return to competition, making a successful comeback with a lopsided win over Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11. He now waits to see the result of Joshua’s fight, with fans eagerly anticipating two massive British boxing stars finally facing off.
Read the full article here
