Anthony Joshua will return to the ring on July 25, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to face Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga. The fight, billed as The Comeback, was announced by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, and will stream live worldwide on DAZN.
Joshua’s situation: This is AJ’s first fight since December 2025. He beat Jake Paul by 6th-round KO in Miami on Dec 19, 2025. Later that month, he was involved in a car accident in Nigeria that killed two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Joshua, 36, said he’s taken time to consolidate and rebuild and has signed a multi-fight deal starting with this bout.
Opponent Kristian Prenga: Age 35, US-based Albanian, former kickboxer. Pro boxing record is 20-1 with 20 KOs since turning pro in 2016. He’s 6ft 5in and has fought exclusively in the US since 2022. He’s not ranked by the major sanctioning bodies and has never fought a 12-rounder or anyone at Joshua’s level. Prenga said Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, but he made a terrible miscalculation in picking me. I will derail their plans.
Why this fight: Widely seen as a tune-up or warm-up for Joshua. Promoter Eddie Hearn said Joshua wanted a bout in July before facing Tyson Fury potentially in November.
Fury fight context: Turki Alalshikh posted To my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed. Ring Magazine and Sky Sports report Joshua vs Fury is signed for Q4 2026, likely on Netflix. Fury called out Joshua after beating Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.
Fan reaction: Some fans criticized the Prenga matchup as can crushing and questioned his resume.
Joshua’s record: 28 wins, 4 losses, 26 KOs. His last meaningful fight before Paul was a 5th-round KO loss to Daniel Dubois in Sept 2024.
