Anthony Joshua is primed for a blockbuster fight with Jake Paul, but his team might already be setting the stage for a high-profile bout in 2026.
Reports have indicated Joshua could fight Tyson Fury in the new year, despite Fury announcing his retirement in early 2025. Given Fury has retired and unretired many times before, the possibility of a return is something many fans are taking seriously.
Joshua is first looking to handle business against Paul and put a 2024 loss to Daniel Dubois behind him, but his plans for 2026 indicate his career is far from over regardless of the result in Miami.
Here's what you need to know about a potential fight between Joshua and Fury.
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Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury fight details
Joshua and Fury are indeed expected to fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2026, but the finer details have not yet been finalized, according to the Press Association.
Joshua and Fury will reportedly participate in separate fights in Riyadh earlier in the year as well if the agreement is finalized, meaning each has to get through his first fight healthy enough to compete later in the year. "He'll certainly have a fight in between," Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, told Sky Sports.
"Tyson's indicated if it's the right deal, he'll definitely do it," Warren said, noting no agreement has been signed by any party just yet.
Ahead of Joshua's fight with Paul, Fury appeared to set the stage for a bout with Joshua by trash-talking the former heavyweight champion online. "If I ever come across you, I'm knocking you spark out," Fury said in a social media video, calling Joshua "classless" and chiding him for fighting a "YouTuber."
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When is the Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury fight?
While a date has not yet been confirmed, the hope is the fight will take place "sometime in late summer" of 2026. Warren said in mid-December that a potential Joshua-Fury bout is "another seven months away," which indicates a July date could be the target.
Where is the Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury fight?
The proposed fight between Joshua and Fury would be part of Riyadh Season, so fans can expect it to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Who is Anthony Joshua fighting next?
Joshua's next fight is not yet confirmed, but reports indicate he would participate in a Riyadh Season fight before potentially facing Fury later in 2026.
Joshua's potential opponent in Riyadh isn't clear, but the plan appears to be for him to fight someone other than Fury earlier in 2026 before what would be a highly-anticipated bout with Fury in the summer.
Is Tyson Fury coming out of retirement?
Fury announced his latest retirement after losing a second match with Oleksandr Usyk in late 2024 and hasn't fought since, but he appears to be willing to break off this retirement for a fight with Joshua.
Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, confirmed to Sky Sports that negotiations were already taking place for a bout between Fury and Joshua, explaining that Fury would "definitely" fight again "if it's the right deal."
Fury's January 2025 announcement was his fifth retirement. He previously retired in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2022. While he is older now, Fury's many reversals would make an unretirement to face Joshua no surprise.
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