Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury Sign Deal, AJ Warms Up with Albanian Opponent

Anthony Joshua is set to return to the boxing ring on July 25th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will face Albanian heavyweight boxer Kristian Prenga. If Joshua navigates this bout successfully, he will finally fight Tyson Fury in late 2026 in what could be the most anticipated clash in British boxing history, broadcast live on Netflix.

The 36-year-old Joshua hasn't boxed since his involvement in a car accident in Lagos on December 29th, which tragically killed two of his close friends – Sina Gami and Latif Ayodele. Although he sustained only minor injuries in the incident, it was unclear if Joshua would ever fight again. However, a month later, he confirmed his intention to continue his career in an emotional video message.

Almost immediately, talks began of a potential match with Tyson Fury, who had also announced his return to the ring after his fifth retirement from the sport. Nevertheless, Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) insisted he wanted an interim fight before facing Fury. In a press release on Monday, Joshua stated: "It's no secret that I needed time to recover and prepare for my return to the ring, and today marks the next step on that journey."

Regarding the Joshua vs. Fury clash, Turki Alalshikh, head of the General Entertainment Authority and owner of The Ring, tweeted: "To my friends in the UK – this is happening. It's signed."

Joshua was ringside at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11th when Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by decision in his comeback fight. The two exchanged memorable words after the bout, but Joshua declined to step into the ring for a face-to-face confrontation with Fury.

The London 2012 Olympic champion insisted he wouldn't do so until the fight was officially signed, stating that since Fury had "shaken off the rust" against Makhmudov, he too would need a "warm-up fight."

It is now confirmed that this fight will be against the powerful Albanian, Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs). The 35-year-old boxer, who resides in New Jersey, has not competed at a world level and has yet to participate in a scheduled 12-round bout. However, he boasts a 100% knockout ratio, and his only loss came via a controversial split decision in an 8-round fight in 2017.

Their clash will be broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN, serving as the main event of a fight night midway through the third edition of the annual Esports World Cup (July 6 – August 23) at Boulevard City in Riyadh.

In the same press release, Prenga stated: "Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, but he made a terrible mistake choosing me as his opponent. This is one of those fights that changes everything in my life and in his. I know they have big plans after this fight. I know they underestimate me. I'm happy about that. I will ruin their plans and shock the world this July in Saudi Arabia," he added.