Anthony Joshua is set to make his highly anticipated return to the boxing ring on July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His opponent for this comeback bout will be Kristian Prenga, a fight confirmed by Matchroom Boxing. This event marks the first of a two-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority. The second and highly anticipated fight under this agreement is expected to be against fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury later in 2026.

The long-awaited clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury appears to be finally materializing. Ring Magazine, which is owned by Alalshikh, has already reported that the Joshua vs. Fury fight is signed for later this year. Alalshikh himself hinted at the development on social media, stating, "To my friends in Great Britain -- it's happening. It's signed." Additionally, promoter Eddie Hearn posted an image with Joshua on Instagram, confirming, "Signed, sealed, delivered. AJ v Fury is on!" This mega-fight has been in talks for over a decade, with previous attempts to finalize the bout failing, but it now seems set to happen in 2026.

Joshua's upcoming fight against Prenga will be his first since his impressive Round 6 knockout victory over Jake Paul in Miami last December. This return also follows a challenging personal period for Joshua, as he was involved in a car crash later that same month which tragically claimed the lives of two of his close friends and team members. In preparation for his return, Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) has been intensely training with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Spain, working with the Ukrainian's training team since before his fight with Paul. Hearn has indicated that this training arrangement is likely to continue for at least the remainder of the year.

Reflecting on his journey, Anthony Joshua stated, "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 25th in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia." He added, "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."

Tyson Fury (35-2-1, 24 KOs) had openly called out Joshua after his victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov in London on April 11, despite Joshua's initial insistence that no deal had been signed during a verbal altercation where Joshua notably referred to himself as "the landlord." Fury had previously stated his disinterest in boxing if a fight with Joshua wasn't next. However, Joshua must first overcome Kristian Prenga, a 35-year-old Albanian fighter who competes out of New Jersey. Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) has a formidable knockout record, having finished every opponent he has beaten, though these victories have primarily come against lesser-known contenders.

Kristian Prenga, despite being seen as an underdog, is confident in his ability to derail the much-anticipated Joshua-Fury plans. He declared, "Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, 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." Prenga added, "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."