Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have agreed to terms for a heavyweight bout expected to take place in November 2026, with Netflix holding broadcast rights, according to Ring Magazine and confirmed by promoter Eddie Hearn. The agreement was first reported by Ring’s Mike Coppinger on April 27 and announced publicly by Hearn shortly after.
“Signed, sealed, delivered. AJ v Fury is on,” Hearn wrote in an Instagram post. “The biggest piece of business we’ve ever done but more importantly the one we’ve always wanted. Biggest year of AJ’s career coming up, the comeback is on.”
Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and the central figure in Riyadh Season’s boxing programming, also addressed the agreement directly on X. “To my friends in Great Britain, it’s happening,” Alalshikh wrote. “It’s signed.” He later reposted Ring Magazine’s announcement, signaling Saudi backing for the bout.
The Ring’s announcement read: “DONE DEAL. Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. Q4, 2026. Netflix.” A precise date and venue have not yet been confirmed. Wembley Stadium has been widely reported as the leading candidate.
Joshua’s Road Back
Joshua’s most recent defeat came in September 2024, when Daniel Dubois stopped him in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium. He was out of the ring for nearly 15 months before returning in December 2025 to stop Jake Paul, breaking Paul’s jaw in the process. Joshua has also been recovering from a car accident in Nigeria late last year, which, per The Guardian, killed two of his close friends and left him hospitalized.
“It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring and this is the next step on that journey,” Joshua said in the Matchroom Boxing release announcing his July 25 return. “I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-fight deal starting with 25 July 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.”
The Fury bout will follow a July 25 tune-up against Kristian Prenga in Riyadh. Hearn previously told iFL TV that the two fights were negotiated as a single package: “It won’t be one fight and then sign the other, it’ll be we’re all in for both.”
Fury’s Return and Call-Out
Fury returned from a 16-month layoff on April 11 with a unanimous-decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, headlining a card streamed on Netflix. He used the post-fight microphone to challenge Joshua, who was ringside.
“Next, I want to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for,” Fury said. “I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua. Let’s give the fight fans what they want: The Battle of Britain. I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, The Gypsy King, next. Do you accept my challenge? Do not run from me this time. 10 years in the making.”
A microphone malfunction prevented the crowd from hearing Joshua’s response in the ring. At the post-fight press conference, Fury made clear that Joshua was the only opponent he was interested in. “If it ain’t Anthony Joshua next I’m not interested in boxing,” Fury said, per The Guardian. “It’s either him or I’m gone again. I’m not interested in up-and-comers. I’m not interested in someone trying to prove a point over me. I don’t care about rankings or belts. I only care now about AJ. That’s the defining fight for British boxing.”
Joshua, speaking ringside, told Fury: “I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years. You tell me your terms and conditions and I’ll have you in the ring when I’m ready. I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord.”
Years of Stalled Negotiations
Talks between the Fury and Joshua camps have repeatedly broken down since 2020, when an initial two-fight agreement was scuttled following an arbitration ruling that ordered Fury into a third bout with Deontay Wilder. Subsequent rounds of negotiations in 2021 and 2022 also collapsed. As recently as March, Hearn denied reports that a deal had been reached, telling media: “There is absolutely nothing signed with Anthony Joshua to fight Tyson Fury next. There is nothing agreed. There have been conversations, deep conversations.”
Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions, who handle Fury’s career, have not yet issued a formal statement on the agreement at the time of publication.
Records and Broadcast
Fury, 37, holds a professional record of 35-1-1 with 24 knockouts. His two most recent losses came against Oleksandr Usyk in 2024 in a pair of undisputed heavyweight title bouts. Joshua, 36, is 28-4 with 25 knockouts.
Netflix’s involvement extends a growing slate of live boxing on the platform. The streamer carried Fury-Makhmudov earlier this month and previously broadcast the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event in November 2024. Further details on the venue, exact date, undercard, and ticketing are expected in the coming weeks.
