After more than a decade of circling each other without a fight materialising, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are now officially set to meet in 2026, with the bout confirmed for the fourth quarter of the year and expected to headline a major event on Netflix, although Joshua still has a return fight to navigate before that moment arrives. The confirmation came on Monday, when Turki Alalshikh posted on X: “To my friends in Great Britain, it’s happening. It’s signed,” bringing an end to years of stalled negotiations between two fighters who have defined British heavyweight boxing on the global stage.
Fury vs Joshua confirmed after years of false starts
Details of the fight’s timing were reported by Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine, who stated that the contest is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2026 as part of a Ring Magazine show on Netflix, adding that it is being positioned as potentially “the biggest fight in British history.” The location has not yet been finalised, with uncertainty over whether it will take place in the United Kingdom or in the Middle East, where several major fights in recent years have been staged. The fight comes after years of anticipation, with both men, two-time world champions, having been linked repeatedly since turning professional, yet never sharing a ring in a competitive bout despite multiple rounds of negotiations and public callouts.
Joshua’s return begins with Prenga in Riyadh on 25 July
Before any meeting with Fury, Joshua is scheduled to return to the ring on 25 July in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will face Kristian Prenga as part of a multi-fight deal. Prenga, 35, enters the bout with a record of 20 wins, all by stoppage, and one loss, although he remains relatively unknown at the elite level, making the fight a key step in Joshua’s preparation ahead of the proposed super-fight. Joshua confirmed the plan in comments to Sky Sports, saying: “It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring and today is the next step on that journey. I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-fight deal starting with July 25 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
December crash in Nigeria halted Joshua’s momentum
Joshua has not fought since December, when he defeated Jake Paul, breaking the social media star-turned-boxer’s jaw in the sixth round of their contest. Just days after that fight, Joshua was involved in a fatal car accident in Nigeria while he was a passenger, with two members of his team losing their lives in the crash, an incident that forced him to step away from the sport and delayed his return to training. The upcoming bout against Prenga will therefore be his first appearance since recovering from that period and resuming preparations for a return to the ring.
Fury’s comeback and ringside callout
Fury, 37, returned to action earlier in April, defeating Arslanbek Makhmudov via unanimous decision in his comeback fight. Joshua was in attendance that night, and Fury used the moment to call him out directly in the ring after the win, attempting to draw a response from his long-time rival, although Joshua chose not to engage and allowed Fury to celebrate his return.
Rivalry built over a decade now set for resolution
The two heavyweights have shared a rivalry stretching back more than ten years, including sparring sessions early in their careers, yet have never fought professionally, making the confirmation of a 2026 bout a significant moment for the division. Former UFC and PFL heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who has faced both fighters in the past year, has already offered his early assessment of the matchup. Speaking to The Schmo, Ngannou said: “If I have to favor somebody it’s going to be very slight. I will go for Fury, because he is very slick. He does well with professional boxing, he only doesn’t understand [how to deal with an opponent] when it’s not a pro boxer.”
Ngannou, who went the distance with Fury and dropped him before being knocked out quickly by Joshua, added that the fight remains close on paper, particularly given both fighters are now operating beyond their prime years. While the agreement for Fury vs Joshua is now in place, the immediate focus shifts to Joshua’s return in July, with the expectation that he must come through that bout before the long-awaited fight finally takes place later in 2026