Key Fight Facts
- Anthony Joshua confirmed on Monday his return to boxing on July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Joshua chose a tune-up fight instead of going straight to the long-awaited matchup with former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury
- Joshua will face Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga, with a record of 20-1 and 20 knockouts, who is based in New Jersey.
Anthony Joshua made his ring return plans official on Monday. Through an announcement from the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, Joshua will make his return to the ring on Saturday, July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
But he won’t be facing Tyson Fury, not yet.
Joshua, an Olympic gold medalist and former two-time unified heavyweight world champion, will face Kristian Prenga of Albania in the main event of a card titled “The Comeback.”
Joshua enters the bout with a professional record of 28 wins and 4 losses, including 25 knockouts, with his most recent win coming by knockout against Jake Paul in December 2025.
“It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back in to the ring and today is the next step on that journey,” said Joshua in a statement. “I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-flight deal starting with July 25 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 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.”
Anthony Joshua Ends The Speculation
There has been enormous speculation about Joshua’s future following his recovery from a December 2025 auto accident in Nigeria, where he was seriously injured, and two members of his team were killed.
After Tyson Fury announced he was coming out of retirement for the fifth time, the drumbeat began for a fight the British public has long wanted to see between Joshua and Fury. Joshua was ringside for Fury’s successful return on April 11 against Arslanbek Makhmudov by decision.
Following the victory, Saudi General Entertainment Authority representative Turki Alalshikh tried to get Joshua into the ring with Fury for a faceoff ahead of a fight reportedly scheduled later this summer.
But Joshua wouldn’t take the bait. He remained in the audience, calmly listening to Fury deliver a typically bombastic callout. Joshua made it clear there was no deal, and said he wasn’t sure what his plans might be.
Is a Tune-Up Fight the Right Choice for Anthony Joshua?
Cue the debate about whether Joshua should take a tune-up fight first, or not risk the biscuit and instead go straight into a fight with Fury.
Experts and pundits argued for both options. A tune-up fight would give Joshua a way to ease back in following his auto accident, which was less than six months ago. But it risks being a banana peel fight if Joshua isn’t up to it and loses, closing the door on the Fury fight forever.
Fans eager to see Joshua fight Fury called for the fight next with no tune-up in the way, delivering the solid promise of the Joshua vs Fury matchup save any factors derailing it along the way such as injury or a dirty drug test.
In a recent podcast interview with Chris Mannix, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said Joshua felt a good deal of pressure to get in the ring with Fury. Hearn said negotiations had taken place prior to Joshua’s accident, but had been put on hold out of respect for allowing Joshua to recover and heal.
Hearn said the night of the Fury vs Makhmudov fight, Joshua was asked if he might agree to come into the ring and confirm a matchup with Fury. Joshua declined because no deal was in place.
Nevertheless, Turki Alalshikh put pressure on Joshua by going ahead with the announcement. Joshua refused to cave in and play along. Hearn said Joshua didn’t ask for his advice, saying he would have encouraged him to go along. But Hearn added that Joshua preferred to stand his ground.
In the end, it was a moment that drove speculation and far more attention than a standard faceoff without a venue or a date. Now speculation can shift to Fury’s plans.
Who is Kristian Prenga?
Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga, age 35, boasts a 100% knockout record in his victories. He is 21-1, 20 KOs. He stands 6-foot-5 and has weighed between 255 and 267 in his fights over the past three years.
Prenga is a former world kickboxing champion. He turned to boxing with no amateur experience in 2016. He will be competing in the highest-profile bout of his career to date, marking his first appearance in a major international main event.
Prenga split his first 11 fights between bouts in Germany and in Canada before relocating to New Jersey in 2022. Since then, he has fought on cards in Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Newark.
The biggest name and victory on Prenga’s resume is a fifth-round TKO win over Joey Dawejko on an October 2024 card in Newark, co-promoted by Joe DeGuardia, Thomas LaManna, and Jaron Ennis. He has appeared on several Vito Mielnicki Jr. undercards, and has a dedicated following among Albanians in the northeastern U.S.
On his social media and in news reports, Prenga says he wants to become Albania’s first-ever heavyweight world champion. He’ll need to get past Anthony Joshua first.
“Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, but he made a terrible miscalculation in picking me as his opponent,” said Prenga in a statement. “This is the kind of fight that changes everything in my life and his. 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.”
Comparing Joshua’s resume with Prenga, and it’s not even close. Joshua has arguably the best resume in the heavyweight division. Over the past eight years, Joshua has won world titles with wins over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Kubrat Pulev, and Andy Ruiz Jr. He shared the ring in high-profile clashes against Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. Throw in two fights with massive viewership against Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul.
Joshua has headlined several global events, including at Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and at Madison Square Garden.
Don’t feel too sorry for Prenga. A year ago, in an interview, Prenga talked about his desire to sign with Matchroom Boxing and pursue bigger-name opponents. On July 25 he gets that opportunity, and he’ll likely earn more money than he has in his 21 previous fights for one night in the ring against Anthony Joshua.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.