Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally meet in a fight that is “signed, sealed, delivered”, Eddie Hearn confirmed on April 27.
The bout between the two most high-profile British fighters of modern times has been mooted since 2011 and now looks certain to take place between the former heavyweight champions.
The fighter known as The Gypsy King returned for the first time in more than 15 months by beating 6ft 6in Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April, with Joshua announcing later that month that he would be back in the ring for the first time in seven months against Kristian Prenga.
Here’s what we know about Fury vs Joshua, including the fight date, venue and what’s been said about the blockbuster showdown.
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When is Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua?
The scrap will take place during the fourth quarter of 2026, depending on Joshua beating 35-year-old Albanian Prenga in July.
Joshua knocked out rookie Jake Paul – better known as a YouTuber – in Miami in December. Later that month, two members of the Londoner’s team were killed when Joshua’s driver crashed a car in Nigeria.
“It’s a comeback fight after some quite severe injuries and a very traumatic time in his life,” said Hearn, who is Joshua’s promoter and the head of Matchroom Boxing, speaking to iFL TV on April 24.
“We only have a fight like that if we’ve signed to fight Tyson Fury. We need to be 100% in body and mind when we fight Tyson Fury.”
Where will the Fury vs Joshua fight take place?
Hearn is “hopeful” that the contest will take place in London, where Wembley Stadium is the largest potential setting.
Joshua set an attendance capacity for a British brawl when the fighter known as AJ was knocked out by Daniel Dubois at the national stadium in September 2024.
The fight could take place in Riyadh because it has been arranged by Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who shared Hearn’s post confirming the contract signing alongside a previous photo of the pair with Joshua.
Fury has fought in two title and two non-title fights in Saudi Arabia, where three successive Fury bouts took place between 2023 and 2024, including both of his defeats to Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring belts.
“The fight will land wherever his excellency wants,” accepted Hearn. “It could be in Timbuctoo. Myself and AJ, Tyson Fury, will have a contract where his excellency is funding the fight.
“It’s up to him where it is. He also wants to make history. He’s not going to put it in some random place.
“He wants this to deliver, for the fans, what it is, which is the biggest fight in the history of our country… I’m not paying the bills, so I can’t give you the answer [on the venue].”
Hearn appeared to suggest that Dublin’s Croke Park is not an option but said talks had previously been held over the fight taking place there.
Two of the last three fights in Saudi Arabia involving Joshua or Fury have been held in December. Joshua also beat Andy Ruiz Jr there in December 2019.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury tickets: Matchroom to promote
Matchroom will organise the fight with the entertainment authority’s Riyadh Season of events, Hearn said.
Tickets for Joshua’s fight with Dubois went on sale a little under three months before the event.
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga: Fury ‘fight of all time’
The most lucrative event in British boxing history hinges on Joshua, who has lost four of his last nine fights against established boxers, avoiding an upset against Prenga, who has earned all 20 of his wins by knockout and suffered his one career defeat on points.
“The good news is that if we take a fight like this, we have signed to fight Tyson Fury,” Hearn said.
“All you’ve got to do is bite your fingernails in July for 36 minutes and you’ve got not the fight of the century, but the fight of all time.”
Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua records
Fury won his first 35 fights, beating hall-of-famer Wladimir Klitschko in his 25th to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring titles.
Now 37, he challenged Deontay Wilder for the WBC belt in a draw in 2018 and won and defended that title in successive bouts against the American in 2021 and 2022.
Those defeats to Usyk mean that Fury does not currently have a title.
One of the most decorated names in British boxing history, Joshua was a super-heavyweight Olympic gold medalist in 2012 and had won 28 of his previous 32 fights, leading to justified concerns that his scrap with Paul would prove an unedifying mismatch.
Joshua knocked out Klitschko at Wembley Stadium to start the first of his two spells as unified world heavyweight champion, between 2017 and 2019 and 2019 and 2021.
He lost successive meetings with Usyk in 2021 and 2022, then collected four straight wins against opponents of questionable quality before being stopped by Dubois.
| Age | Pro debut | Wins (KO) | Defeats (KO) | Draws | |
| Tyson Fury | 37 | Dec 2008 | 35 (24) | 2 (0) | 1 |
| Anthony Joshua | 36 | Oct 2013 | 29 (26) | 4 (2) | 0 |
Anthony Joshua images: Copyright Esther Lin / Most Valuable Promotions
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