Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally meet in a fight that is “signed, sealed, delivered”, Eddie Hearn confirmed on April 27, 2026.
The bout between the two most prominent British fighters of modern times has been on the cards since 2011 and now looks set 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, and Joshua announced later that month that he would return to 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 has been said about the big showdown.
When is Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua?
The scrap will take place in the fourth quarter of 2026 after Joshua beat Albanian Prenga, 35, in July. BBC Sport has reported that the date is Saturday, December 11.
Where will the Fury vs Joshua fight take place?
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had initially claimed the fight would “100 per cent” be held in London but, after months of wrangling, the BBC Sport report said the Principality Stadium in Cardiff is close to being the venue.
New York’s Madison Square Garden was reportedly close to a deal, but Hearn and Joshua are said to have “refused to waive their contractual right” to hold the bout in Britain, with both fighter festivals, broadcasters Netflix and organizers Saudi Arabia now set to confirm Cardiff as the venue.
Among the factors involved in the alleged deal over the new venue, the stadium’s roof is said to have been deemed vital to protect fans in winter and a later kick-off time, better suited to the US market, is believed to have been a licensing issue for Wembley but not for Cardiff.
In mid-August, Hearn had stated that “everyone is determined” that the fight will take place in New York and expressed his dismay at the situation.
“There is no willingness to talk to the (UK) government, (Mayor of London) Sadiq Khan, Transport for London,” Hearn told Bad Left Hook.
“Tyson Fury has agreed to do it in the United States and we haven’t, at the moment. So we’re talking about a road map of what it could be, to change the deal.
“If they do all the things that we discussed and agreed upon in principle, there is a good chance that the fight will happen in America.
“We’ll be disappointed, but…it’s kind of falling on deaf ears, isn’t it? You signed a contract to do the fight in England. Why don’t you do it in England?
“(The other parties say) ‘No, Netflix wants it in America. No, Turki Alalshikh wants it in America. No, no, no, no.’
“So our conversations are like ‘okay, well, if you want it in America, that’s what we’d like to change within the contract and if you agree, we have a fight.’
“‘We don’t want to change the contract. We don’t want to change the venue or the host country, but we’ll talk to you, if you’re that desperate about it, we’ll try to find a way to help, but that’s the way it is.’
“It’s been a month and they haven’t changed their mind and there hasn’t even been a conversation about the UK.”
Wembley Stadium is the biggest potential arena in the UK unless Joshua’s team agree to new terms.
There had been speculation that Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority which has organized the fight, could stage the contest in Las Vegas.
UFC president and Zuffa Boxing boss Dana White, a new rival to Hearn in the boxing business, has said he will promote the fight and knows the date and location.
“We have a great relationship with Turki Alalshikh,” Hearn said BBC Sport in June “If he comes to me and says ‘I want to do the fight in America for this reason’, we’ll all be very disappointed because I don’t think there’s a person on the planet who doesn’t think this fight should be done in the UK.
“But he’s paying the bill and the bill is exorbitant. So you have to find a way to make it work. If they want to change something in the contract, we have to renegotiate the contract and start over.
“The contract clearly states that Dana White and Zuffa Boxing, or anyone associated with them, cannot be the promoters of this event.
“The only way Dana could be on the show is if we let him. And that’s not really how I feel right now.”
Joshua established an assist capacity for a British fight when the fighter known as AJ was knocked out by Daniel Dubois at the National Stadium in September 2024.
Joshua has fought two title fights and two non-title fights in Saudi Arabia, where Fury’s three successive fights between 2023 and 2024 took place, including his two losses to Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring belts.
“The fight will land wherever His Excellency chooses,” Hearn agreed when the original announcement was made.
“It could be in Timbuctoo. Myself and AJ, Tyson Fury, will have a contract where your excellency will finance the fight.
“It’s up to him where he is. He also wants to make history. He’s not going to put it in a random spot.
“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 site).”
Hearn appeared to suggest Dublin’s Croke Park is not an option, but said there had previously been talks about the fight there.
Two of the last three fights in Saudi Arabia with either Joshua or Fury have taken place in December. Joshua also beat Andy Ruiz Jr there in December 2019.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: Matchroom tickets to promote
Matchroom will stage the fight with the entertainment authority’s Riyadh Events Season, Hearn said.
Tickets for Joshua’s fight with Dubois went on sale just under three months before the event.
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga: Fury’s ‘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 won all 20 of his victories by knockout and suffered his only career defeat on points.
“The good news is if we do a fight like this, we’ve signed to fight Tyson Fury,” Hearn said.
“All you have to do is bite your nails in July for 36 minutes or less and you have not only the fight of the century, but the fight of all time.”
Tyson Fury, records Anthony Joshua
fury he 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 to a draw in 2018 and went on to win and defend that title in successive bouts against the American in 2021 and 2022.
Those defeats a Usyk means Fury is currently without 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 legitimate concerns that his scrap with Paul would prove an unedifying mismatch.
Joshua knocked out Klitschko at Wembley Stadium to begin the first of his two spells as unified world heavyweight champion, from 2017-2019 and 2019-2021.
He lost back-to-back meetings with Usyk in 2021 and 2022, then reeled off four straight wins against opponents of questionable quality before being stopped. by Dubois.
| age | Professional debut | wins (KO) | Defeats (KO) | draws | |
| Tyson Fury | 37 | December 2008 | 35 (24) | 2 (0) | 1 |
| Anthony Joshua | 36 | October 2013 | 29 (26) | 4 (2) | 0 |
Anthony Joshua Images: Copyright Esther Lin / Most Valuable Promotions / Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing
