Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua Confirmed for December 11 Blockbuster in Cardiff

The long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is officially set to take place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11. Although touted for over a decade when the pair dominated the division, the chance to unify all the major belts never materialized, leaving boxing fans frustrated. Both fighters were subsequently defeated by Oleksandr Usyk, who claimed the undisputed heavyweight crown.

On Thursday, it was formally announced that Fury and Joshua will finally square off in the ring, with global broadcasting rights secured by Netflix. “I am inspiring a generation,” Joshua shared on Instagram. A London press conference is scheduled for next Wednesday, bringing the two fighters face-to-face ahead of an event co-promoted by Turki Alalshikh's The Ring and Dana White's newly launched Zuffa Boxing.

“Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,” stated Saudi Arabia's boxing power broker Alalshikh. “This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history. I am very happy to make this fight happen for the fans.”

Both former world champions have recently appeared vulnerable. Tyson Fury, holding a 36-2-1 record with 25 knockouts, last fought in July, stopping Polish veteran Mariusz Wach after seven one-sided rounds in an untelevised Thailand bout. “I've had one fight in two years. This is my second fight in two years. Of course, I wanted to get the rounds in. I want to be active,” remarked Fury, who turned 38 in August. “It's not just the boxing in the ring. It's spilt over the fight week, the press conference, the weigh-in, the nerves – everything.”

Anthony Joshua's path to the bout was nearly derailed 24 hours later in Jeddah, where he suffered a knockdown within 20 seconds and narrowly avoided defeat against Kristian Prenga. The 36-year-old recovered to knock out the unknown Albanian in the second round, asserting that his opponent proved to be “a serious fighter” providing a tough challenge. “This is what champions do – we rise, man. We get knocked down, we stand up and we keep going. That's life,” Joshua told reporters.

While Madison Square Garden was initially considered, Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) pushed for a UK venue, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan advocating for Wembley Stadium.

“Forever indebted to the UK public for their support of Anthony Joshua. We couldn't have got this over the line without you,” promoter Eddie Hearn noted, despite previously expressing reluctance about Dana White's involvement.

“For more than a decade, boxing fans have been clamouring 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,” UFC chief Dana White stated. “On December 11, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide – and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”

Just two weeks prior, Fury had claimed he was searching for a new opponent despite his existing contract with Joshua, accusing his British rival of withdrawing. “This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury posted on Instagram. “Oleksandr you're his trainer and his sensei and you know he is weak minded … and that he would never fight the Gypsy King which you have had the guts to do twice. You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, let's do it again. Let's run it back in November. The ball is now in your court … do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”