Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally fight on Friday, December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, live on Netflix, ending a saga that has consumed boxing for the better part of two months and a matchup that has been discussed for the better part of a decade.

The announcement came jointly Thursday from The Ring owner Turki Alalshikh and Netflix. Alalshikh posted: “For 15 years no one has been able to make this fight. Back in April, I said that any announcement would come from me. I can now confirm that Fury Vs Joshua will be coming to the UK, as I promised British boxing fans. The time for talking is over.” He followed with the details: “Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. Years in the making. One night to settle it. December 11th | Principality Stadium. Cardiff, United Kingdom. LIVE on Netflix.” Netflix put it more bluntly: “Enough talk. Time to fight. TYSON FURY vs. ANTHONY JOSHUA. Friday December 11. LIVE from the UK – and only on Netflix.” Matchroom followed with the poster. One word across the middle. Finally.

A press conference has been set for Tuesday, September 30 in London, according to a media alert issued by The Ring and Netflix. Media accreditation applications close at noon on Monday, September 29.

In the announcement, Alalshikh called it “two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together. This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history, I am very happy to make this fight happen for the fans.” Dana White, co-promoting alongside The Ring, said: “For more than a decade, boxing fans have been clamoring for the heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Together, they bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring. On December 11, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide– and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”

White’s involvement is worth noting on its own. Eddie Hearn spent much of September insisting Joshua’s contract barred White, Zuffa Boxing and TKO from any involvement in the fight, saying on camera at one point that there would otherwise be no fight. The announcement lists White as co-promoting with The Ring.

A start time has not been confirmed. Reporting through the week pointed to ring walks around 2am UK time so the main event lands in American prime time for Netflix.

Cardiff was not where this started. Joshua signed for a UK venue, Fury’s paperwork pointed elsewhere, and Sela and Netflix spent weeks pushing for Madison Square Garden on November 20. Wembley was the original plan and fell away over a curfew that could not be extended far enough. The Principality has a retractable roof, a capacity near 80,000, and a precedent for late finishes, having hosted Joe Calzaghe against Mikkel Kessler at roughly 2am in 2007 to suit an American broadcaster. Joshua has fought there twice, stopping Carlos Takam in 2017 and outpointing Joseph Parker in 2018.

There is deeper history in the choice. The last all-British heavyweight fight of this magnitude staged in the UK was Lennox Lewis against Frank Bruno in 1993, at the National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park, on the ground where the Principality now stands.

The undercard is not set. BoxingScene reported this week that Netflix wants Manny Pacquiao against Shakur Stevenson as a second main event on the same show, with no bout agreements delivered to either fighter yet and Pacquiao’s terms still under negotiation.

Joshua carries a record of 30-4 with 27 knockouts. Fury is 36-2-1 with 25 stoppages. Neither man holds a world title, and both are past the version of themselves that made this fight the biggest in British boxing a decade ago. It is still the fight the sport has spent fifteen years failing to make.

Seventy-eight days to go.