Anthony Joshua to face Tyson Fury later this year for biggest fight in British boxing history

Anthony Joshua is to face Tyson Fury later this year after promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed a deal to stage the biggest fight in British boxing history has been signed.

Joshua will face Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on 25 July as a warm-up for his long-awaited showdown with Fury, which is expected to take place in November and be shown on Netflix.

“Signed, sealed, delivered! AJ v Fury is on!” Hearn said on Instagram. “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.”

The bout against Prenga will be the first since he was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed two close friends, and his first appearance since knocking out YouTube star Jake Paul earlier the same month.

Tyson Fury in action against Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11 April. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty Images for Netflix

It will be Joshua’s first bout since he was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed two close friends, and his first appearance since knocking out YouTube star Jake Paul earlier the same month. All 20 of Albanian heavyweight Prenga’s wins have come by knockout, but he has yet to face an opponent in Joshua’s class.

“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.

Before Hearn’s post, Saudi Arabia’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh had suggested on social media that Joshua’s fight with Fury had been agreed. “To my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed,” said Alalshikh.