British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua will make his return to the ring on July 25 in Saudi Arabia, facing Albania's Kristian Prenga in Riyadh. This marks his first fight since a car accident in Nigeria in December, which tragically claimed the lives of two of his close friends.
Official Announcement
The announcement of Joshua's comeback was accompanied by confirmation from promoters Turki Alashikh and Eddie Hearn that Joshua will finally face his great rival, Tyson Fury, later this year. Joshua expressed his readiness, stating, "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. I'm looking forward to competing and picking up where I left off. As I said, The landlord will collect his rent. That is certain."
Background and Career
Joshua, an Olympic champion from London 2012 and a two-time heavyweight champion, has a professional record of 29 wins (26 by KO) and four defeats (two by KO). He won the IBF heavyweight title in 2016 with a second-round knockout of Charles Martin and later added the WBA, WBO, and IBO belts. He lost these belts in a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 but reclaimed them in an immediate rematch six months later. However, he lost them to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and subsequently lost rematches to Usyk in 2022 and to fellow Briton Daniel Dubois in 2024.
Fury Fight Speculation
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh fueled speculation on Monday that the fight between Joshua and Fury had been agreed, posting on social media, "To my friends in Great Britain. It's happening, it's signed."
