• Summary

• *Joshua to face Kristian Prenga in Riyadh after car accident hiatus
• *Fight marks start of Joshua’s multi-fight deal in Saudi Arabia, announced by Turki Alalshikh
• *Promoter Hearn says ​Joshua vs Fury is signed for later in the year

Former world heavyweight boxing ‌champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have signed up for a long-awaited clash later this year, promoter Eddie Hearn said on Monday.

“Signed, sealed, delivered! AJ v Fury is on!,” Hearn posted on Instagram.

The announcement came after confirmation that ​Joshua will return to the ring against Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25 in ​the Briton’s first fight since he was in a car accident last December that ⁠killed two close friends.

U.S.-based Albanian Prenga, 35, is a former kickboxer with a ring record of ​20 wins and one defeat since he turned professional in 2016.

The fight, billed as “The Comeback”, was announced ​by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh and will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN.

Turki also posted on X a message “to my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed” while his Ring Magazine said the fight ​would happen in Q4 2026 on Netflix.

SIXTH-ROUND KNOCKOUT

Joshua, 36, has a record of 28 wins and ​four losses with his most recent fight a sixth-round knockout of American Jake Paul on December 19 in Miami.

“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,” said Joshua.

“I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-fight deal starting with July 25th in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I’m looking forward to competing ​and picking up where I ​left off. The ⁠landlord will collect his rent. That is certain.”

Hearn told Sky Sports television he wanted a “tune-up bout” in July before facing Fury potentially in November.

“July and ​November are the two dates that have been presented to us now and ​we expect ⁠to move forward,” he said. “Fury has just had his tune-up fight with 12 really vital rounds to get him sharp for the next one and I expect us to do the same.”

Fury called for a ⁠showdown with ​Joshua after he outclassed Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.

“Next, I want ​to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for. I want you AJ, Anthony Joshua, let’s give the fight fans ​what they want, the Battle of Britain,” he said then.

-Reuters

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Former boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya appeared before the U.S. Senate on Wednesday and argued against a potential transformation of the current system governed by the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act that, since ​2000, has aimed to protect fighters from exploitative practices.

The hearing — titled “Return to Your Corners: Have Federal Boxing ‌Laws Gone the Distance or Slipped the Jab?” — was held a month after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, which, if it becomes law, would allow for the creation of a single entity to combine promotion, rankings, titles and sanctioning under one roof.

“This ​is a fundamental power shift that, if enacted, would put corporate profits first and fighters second,” De La ​Hoya told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. “We should be clear about who benefits ⁠from this.”

Thirty years ago, Congress set federal boxing standards by passing the Professional Boxing Safety Act. Four years later, Congress tightened ​those standards by enacting the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. Together known as the Ali Act, the federal framework for professional ​boxing was designed to address conflicts of interest in the boxing market and strengthen boxers’ bargaining power.

Last month the House passed the Revival Act to make it easier for boxing to be organised in the same manner as other professional sports leagues.

‘FIGHTERS WILL HAVE FEWER CHOICES’

De La Hoya told ​the hearing that, like him, many fighters enter the sport young, trusting and without resources, and that once they are locked ​into the wrong deal, it is very difficult to get out. That is, he argued, exactly why the Reform Act exists.

“Fighters deserve real protection ‌and real ⁠opportunity — not to have to fight the system as well,” said De La Hoya. “If this bill passes, fighters will have fewer choices, less leverage, and less control over their careers. And when that happens, it will not be the sport that failed them. It will be us.”

Nico Ali Walsh, a professional boxer and grandson of former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, also argued to ​preserve the current Reform Act.

Walsh told ​the hearing the Reform ⁠Act was built on a simple principle: the people controlling fighters should not also control the entire marketplace those fighters depend on.

“That separation exists to prevent conflicts of interest and exploitation,” said Walsh. “The ​new Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act would undermine that principle.

“If this bill is passed in ​its current form, ⁠it should not have my grandfather’s name on it, as it would betray the principles his Act was created to protect.”

WWE President and TKO Group board member Nick Khan spoke in support of the Revival Act, which would allow the creation of a new, centralised, alternative professional boxing system called Unified Boxing Organisations.

“The existing Act, as it currently stands, ​would remain in place,” said Khan. “This is an added option. It creates the framework for Unified Boxing Organisations, otherwise known as UBOs, that can do what ​major sports do — promote competition, develop talent, and enforce consistent standards under one roof.”

-Reuters

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Britain’s former heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, has reignited calls for a long-awaited domestic super-fight after defeating Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision on Saturday night.

Fighting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fury delivered a composed and commanding performance to secure his first victory since his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in October 2024. That loss had denied the “Gypsy King” a chance to reclaim the WBC title, but he showed no signs of decline in a bout he ultimately controlled from the middle rounds onward.

Makhmudov started brightly, pressing forward aggressively and forcing Fury onto the ropes in the early exchanges. However, the Russian struggled to inflict meaningful damage as Fury gradually imposed his superior ring craft.

Once Fury established his jab and controlled the distance, the fight tilted decisively in his favour. Switching stances with ease, the 37-year-old Briton mixed head and body attacks, punishing Makhmudov whenever he attempted to clinch. As the contest wore on, Fury’s dominance became more pronounced, with the Briton picking his shots and rarely looking troubled.

All three judges scored the 12-round contest comfortably for Fury, returning verdicts of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109.

But it was what happened after the final bell that electrified the crowd.

With fellow Briton Anthony Joshua watching from ringside, Fury seized the microphone and issued a direct challenge.

“Next, I want to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for. I want you AJ, Anthony Joshua… the Battle of Britain. I challenge you… do you accept my challenge?” Fury declared.

Joshua, a former unified heavyweight champion, declined to be drawn into an immediate verbal exchange but signalled his willingness to finally settle the rivalry in the ring.

“Tyson, I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you,” Joshua responded. “I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years… when you’re ready, come and see me.”

The exchange has once again fuelled anticipation for what could become the biggest fight in British boxing history, with fans hopeful that negotiations—after years of near misses—can finally deliver the long-awaited showdown between the two heavyweight giants.

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