Anthony Joshua will fight Kristian Prenga this summer, it has been announced, as “AJ” builds to a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury.
Joshua will box Prenga in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 25 July, it was confirmed on Monday. A press release from Matchroom made no direct reference to Fury, but a quote from “AJ” did refer to their recent exchange in London.
“It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring,” Joshua said on Monday, “and today is the next step on that journey. 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. As I said: The landlord will collect his rent. That is certain.”
Joshua’s final words were a reference to what he told Fury on 11 April, while speaking to his fellow Briton from ringside after Fury beat Arslanbek Makhmudov. As for the “multi-fight deal” to which Joshua referred, Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn told The Independent and others this month that AJ would likely face another foe before taking on Fury. Hearn also hinted that such a warm-up bout would take place this summer.
And the opponent in question will be relative unknown Prenga, a 35-year-old Albanian with a professional record of 20-1 (20 KOs). Meanwhile, Joshua’s own record stands at 29-4 (26 KOs).
“Anthony Joshua is a great fighter,” said Prenga, “but he made a terrible miscalculation in picking me as his opponent. This is the kind of fight that changes everything in my life and his. I know they have big plans ahead after this fight. I know they are overlooking me. I’m happy about that. I will derail their plans and shock the world this July in Saudi Arabia.”
Joshua, an Olympic gold medalist and former two-time world heavyweight champion, last fought in December, stopping YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in six rounds. Ten days later, Joshua survived a fatal car crash in Nigeria, which killed two of his teammates – Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Since then, Joshua has been training with former opponent Oleksandr Usyk in the latter’s native Ukraine. Usyk outpointed Joshua in 2021 and 2022, before doing the same against Fury twice in 2024.
Joshua, 36, and Fury, 37, have been linked for years, and they even signed a fight deal in 2021, when each Briton was a world heavyweight champion. However, the contest collapsed when Fury’s rival Deontay Wilder threatened legal action, leading to a trilogy bout with the “Gypsy King”. Fury went on to stop Wilder for the second time.
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But the Joshua contest has long eluded fight fans – until now, it seems. It is likely that Joshua vs Prenga is part of a deal that will see AJ box Fury later in 2026.
That would tally with Joshua’s words in Monday’s press release, Hearn’s words to The Independent this month, and a hint from Saudi Matchmaker Turki Alalshikh. Just moments before Joshua vs Prenga was announced, Alalshikh wrote on X: “To my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed.”
The latest round of Fury vs Joshua chatter began on 11 April, when Fury outpointed Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Joshua watched on from ringside.
Fury, who was returning from his fifth career retirement, called out AJ after winning, but the latter refused to enter the ring and was coy when speaking on the microphone. Joshua suggested he would soon box his fellow Briton, but that he would not entertain a face-off until that fight was signed.
