Anthony Joshua might not be leading the pack right now, but the world is never quite done watching him. It is now confirmed that the British-Nigerian is set to return to the ring against Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyadh, his first fight since surviving a road accident that claimed the lives of his two close friends in Nigeria last December.

Back active. July 25th. Live on @DAZN 👊🏾 pic.twitter.com/sSxzHY2mNj

— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) April 27, 2026

The last time Joshua had a proper test inside the ring was in September 2024, when Daniel Dubois knocked him out in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium. For all that his next outing commanded in attention, few attribute much weight to his Netflix-fixed bout the following December against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, which he duly won, albeit taking six rounds longer than many expected.

It is not the first time Joshua will be aiming for a comeback, but this might well be the last one anyone cares much about. He will be squaring up against Prenga, a relatively unknown Albanian heavyweight who is just enough of a test on paper for him. If you are worried about Prenga’s rankings, don’t be; he is not currently rated by any of the four major sanctioning bodies, but where it counts, the 35-year-old has delivered, boasting a 20-1 record with all 20 wins coming by knockout. The sum of Prenga’s past opponents would struggle to match the Anthony Joshua we once knew, but at Joshua’s current level, it is not a straight call, though a loss will nonetheless be shocking and devastating.

Accompanying the announcement of the Prenga fight was confirmation from promoters Turki Alalshikh and Eddie Hearn that Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally have their long-awaited showdown in the fourth quarter of 2026.

“I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-fight 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,” Joshua was quoted as saying via Sky Sports.

The fight is happening, though it has taken longer than anyone wanted. Neither man is exactly at the peak of their powers, but Joshua is the more obvious underdog. Still, both fighters remain among the biggest names in the division, and for Joshua, it might well define what remains of his elite standing.

Eddie Hearn has confirmed the contracts are signed. The Gypsy King himself signalled as much after defeating Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier in April, a fight Joshua watched from ringside. “I’ve signed, done. It doesn’t really matter how many fights it is on that deal; let’s just get one done,” Fury said. With an official agreement now in place between the two parties, the Prenga bout matters more than ever as a tune-up for Joshua, since he has already had his, going 12 rounds to sharpen up. 

When Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua last crossed paths 👀 pic.twitter.com/EckdZwEuco

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) April 27, 2026

Ultimately, no one needs this more than Joshua does. He has lost ground he may never fully recover. The fight against Fury gives him one last meaningful chance to matter at the top level again. Whether he takes that chance will say everything about what remains in him.