Anthony Joshua recovered from two first-round knockdowns to knock out Kristian Prenga in the second round at the Jeddah Superdome on 26 July, preserving a long-planned heavyweight contest with Tyson Fury. The Albanian underdog sent Joshua to the canvas with a right uppercut after 20 seconds and floored him again late in the opening round, but Joshua rallied to stop Prenga at 2:43 of the second, improving his record to 30 wins and 4 losses. The victory was a prerequisite for the all-British showdown, with promoter Eddie Hearn confirming that contracts for the Fury fight are already signed, though a venue and date remain unannounced. Fury had earlier stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand on 25 July, but did not attend the Jeddah event.

The bout was Joshua’s first since a car crash in Nigeria in December 2025 that killed his close friends and training partners Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. He entered the ring wearing camouflage gear bearing their names and, visibly emotional, dedicated the win to them. “That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina. That was family,” he said in the ring, before stepping away from the microphone, overcome. Hearn later acknowledged that during the first round he feared Joshua had returned too soon after the trauma, but said the camp had provided focus through grief.

Hearn insisted the Joshua-Fury fight should take place in Britain, calling it “a British fight” and stating that Joshua had told him, “I want the fight in Britain.” The promoter added that the contract is “signed and sealed” and that “everything’s done,” but noted that the coming weeks would determine the final arrangements. Joshua, while expressing respect for Fury’s achievements, declared, “as a fighting person and someone who has been calling for this fight for a long time, we’re here now,” and vowed, “I can’t be stopped.”

The proposed November bout, billed as the “Battle of Britain,” now awaits logistical finalisation. Saudi officials, including the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, were thanked by Joshua and Hearn for hosting the event, underscoring the kingdom’s deepening role in global boxing. The chaotic nature of Joshua’s performance—his first against a recognised professional since a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024—leaves questions about his readiness for Fury, but his camp views the comeback as proof of resilience. The next concrete step is the announcement of a venue and date, which Hearn indicated would be clarified in the near term.