Boxing heavyweight Anthony Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) will return to the ring on July 25, 2026, in Saudi Arabia against 35-year-old Albanian fighter Christian Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs). The announcement also includes confirmation that a highly anticipated bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury has been officially agreed upon and will take place in the fourth quarter of 2026, specifically between October and December. This news comes from Ring Magazine. The Joshua-Prenga fight will serve as a tune-up before the major Fury showdown later in the year.
Anthony Joshua is set to return to the ring on July 25, 2026, when he faces Albanian heavyweight Christian Prenga in Saudi Arabia, with the bout serving as a warm-up ahead of a confirmed showdown with Tyson Fury later in the year.
Joshua, 36, represents the United Kingdom and stands six-foot-six with an 82-inch reach — physical tools that have long made him a dominant presence in the heavyweight division. He carries a professional record of 29 wins and 4 losses, with 26 of those victories coming by way of knockout. He trains out of Boxing Works alongside Team GB staff and fights from an orthodox stance.
His opponent, Christian Prenga, is a 35-year-old Albanian heavyweight with a near-perfect record of 20-1 and a knockout ratio that matches it exactly — all 20 of his wins have come inside the distance. That finishing rate makes him a legitimate test despite his role as a transitional opponent heading into the bigger fight.
The more significant headline from the announcement, reported by Ring Magazine, is that Joshua versus Fury has been officially agreed upon and is scheduled to take place between October and December 2026, placing one of boxing's most long-awaited heavyweight clashes firmly on the calendar for the fourth quarter of the year.
Why it matters
- Joshua-Prenga on July 25 gives Joshua competitive rounds and timing ahead of the biggest fight of the second half of his career.
- The Fury clash, now officially confirmed per Ring Magazine, ends years of on-and-off negotiations between two of the sport's most recognizable heavyweights.
- Prenga's 100 percent knockout ratio means Joshua cannot treat this as a routine outing — a sharp performance will be necessary going into the high-profile autumn bout.
