Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: When are they fighting, where are they are fighting and more - what we know so far
What we know so far about the long awaited Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua showdown, and what we don't; Is it on? Where will it be? When could it take place? What's Dua Lipa got to do with it? Sky Sports considers the key questions ahead of the all-British heavyweight mega-fight
Monday 27 April 2026 21:15, UK
Sky Sports considers the key questions, what we know so far, and what we don't, now Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua has been set.
Is it on?
It. Is. On. At long last. Anthony Joshua is set to fight Tyson Fury. The biggest names in British boxing, both heavyweight rivals and former world champions have frequently been linked to a potential fight, but it's one that has taken years to materialise.
Now Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has declared the AJ-Fury fight "signed, sealed and delivered". Fury had revealed he'd signed to fight Joshua after his own comeback victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this month.
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When is it on?
We don't actually know yet but it should take place this year. Eddie Hearn previously told Sky Sports that Joshua was working towards fighting Fury in November of this year, and the Ring magazine has also announced that it will take place in "Q4, 2026".
Where will it be?
Well, that also is currently unconfirmed. It is expected to take place in the UK. Only the largest stadiums are realistic options. Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have proven track records of hosting major boxing events. Big fights have previously been held at the Tottenham ground in November and in December.
What can go wrong?
This is boxing. Anything can go wrong and frequently does. Joshua has a tune up bout in July, when he fights Kristian Prenga. Until that fight was announced, Prenga was virtually unknown. On paper as an opponent he's six foot five inches tall, he has a 20-1 (20) record and perhaps, theoretically could be a something of a threat … but there's a reason he was previously unknown. Joshua is very unlikely to lose to him, and even if he did, the Fury fight could and surely would still happen.
An injury is more likely to derail or at least postpone the fight, but of course those can also be sustained in training as well as a fight.
Why has it taken so long?
Fury has been a big name heavyweight for years. Joshua has been a superstar ever since he won Olympic gold at London 2012. It would have been a huge fight to make pretty much from the moment Joshua turned professional. But in boxing such major bouts are usually made when both fighters reach world level and that takes time and development.
With Fury stepping away from the sport after his victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, when he became a unified world champion, their trajectories did not intersect. One by one Joshua picked up the belts Fury had previously held. When Fury returned to boxing he then targeted Deontay Wilder and beat the hard-punching American to win the WBC heavyweight title.
Fury and Joshua were then close to meeting in a contest for the undisputed heavyweight championship, but Wilder enforced his right for the trilogy fight with Fury. Joshua would lose his belts to Oleksandr Usyk and could not win them back in a rematch.
Fury then fought Usyk for the undisputed crown and also lost to the brilliant Ukrainian. Embittered Fury retired in 2025 and has only now returned to boxing.
Why is AJ having a tune up bout?
Joshua did fight in December, when he beat YouTuber turned prizefighter Jake Paul. It took him six rounds, longer than expected, to knock out Paul and that was Joshua's first bout in more than a year after suffering a stoppage defeat himself to Daniel Dubois.
After the bout with Paul, Joshua was involved in a terrible car accident, in which two of his close friends, both also members of his team died. Joshua not only has been dealing with that tragedy, he also needs to shake off the physical effects of the incident that left him injured.
Who will win?
How Joshua performs in that comeback fight will be telling. He looked excellent in his 2023 domination of Otto Wallin. Since then his only wins have come against Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion dabbling in boxing, and Jake Paul, who is a novice prizefighter and not a proper heavyweight.
Fury's fights with Usyk may have been defeats for him, but they were closely contested and top-level bouts. In Arslanbek Makhmudov, Fury's comeback came against a predictable opponent but one who is heavy-handed and much higher calibre than Prenga.
But then Fury actually struggled with Ngannou, whereas Joshua levelled him.
This fight is coming at a late stage in both of their careers, after both have had significant periods of time away from boxing. All that adds a further element of unpredictability to the event.
Who have they been training with?
Before his comeback, Fury insisted he was training himself and running his own camp. Sugarhill Steward, who's previously coached Fury, did come in to join his team a couple of weeks before the Makhmudov fight.
Joshua has gone into training with Oleksandr Usyk and the Ukrainian's team. The one-time rivals have now joined forces.
Usyk, the undefeated still unified and formerly undisputed heavyweight world champion has a different fighting style to Joshua but has beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. He can give Joshua an additional impetus for this fight.
What's Dua Lipa got to do with it?
Sky Sports understands that Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh, who is backing the event, has stipulated that Dua Lipa needs to perform at the fight.
There is a precedent for something like this, Liam Gallagher for instance performed at Wembley Stadium before Joshua's fight with Dubois.
However no one can say they expected Dua Lipa to be the one to finally get Joshua-Fury made.
