Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to meet in Cardiff on December 11
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The gist
British heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua fight at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11, aired on Netflix.
It is their first meeting after nearly a decade of rivalry, with over 80,000 expected.
Background
Anthony Joshua, 37, is a British former two-time unified world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist. Tyson Fury, 38, known as the 'Gypsy King', is a former world heavyweight champion who has held every major heavyweight title. The two have had a rivalry for almost 10 years but have never fought; the December 11 bout is their first meeting in the ring. Fury has come out of retirement for a fifth time after a 16-month layoff, and Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh is putting up the money as promoter in partnership with Dana White.
How it unfolded
- Sep 2024Joshua suffered a fifth-round knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois.
- Dec 2025Joshua fought Jake Paul.
- Jul 2026Joshua was floored twice by Kristian Prenga but recovered to knock Prenga out in a two-round firefight in Riyadh.
- Oct 19, 2026Fury's training camp was reported in Delray Beach ahead of the Joshua fight; Fury, 38, has come out of retirement for a fifth time after a 16-month layoff.
- Oct 20, 2026Agit Kabayel predicted Fury will beat Joshua.
- Oct 21, 2026Promoter Frank Warren backed Fury to stop Joshua inside the distance.
- Oct 22, 2026Filip Hrgovic said Joshua and Fabio Wardley 'shouldn't be fighting anymore' and picked Fury to win.
- Dec 11, 2026Fury vs Joshua is scheduled at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, aired on Netflix; over 80,000 fans are expected, and the fight sold out in less than an hour, with more than half a million people reported to have tried to get tickets online.
Who’s saying what
- Promoter
- Frank Warren says styles make fights and believes Fury will knock Joshua out, citing Joshua's vulnerability when he throws shots and Fury's counterpunching.
- Champion
- IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic picks Fury based on Joshua's last performance and says Joshua 'shouldn't be fighting anymore'.
- Champion
- WBC champion Agit Kabayel calls Fury the better boxer with the better boxing IQ, though he says only Joshua can beat the top guys with one hand.
- Fury
- Tyson Fury says he wants to 'make boxing great again' and that Joshua turned the fight down four or five times before seeking a final payday.
- Analysts
- Sky Sports' Andy Scott and John Dennen say Fury seems to come out ahead against their highest-level shared opponents but call it hard to call, adding Joshua probably needs the win more for his legacy.
Still unverified
The WBA has not explained why it sanctioned the fight for a 'super' title, and neither man was rated its No 1 contender. Whether the loser of the fight will retire is presented as an open question.