After years of failed negotiations, false starts, and anticipation, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally meet in the ring on December 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with the heavyweight blockbuster carrying an estimated combined purse of $200 million.
The all-British showdown, confirmed on Thursday by Saudi Arabian boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh, will be staged at the 80,000-capacity stadium and streamed globally on Netflix.
The fight is expected to rank among the biggest commercial events in British boxing, bringing together two former heavyweight world champions whose proposed clash has remained one of the sport’s most anticipated matchups for more than a decade.
‘For 15 years no one has been able to make this fight,’ Alalshikh said on X. ‘I can now confirm that Fury vs. Joshua will be coming to the UK, as I promised British boxing fans. The time for talking is over.’
$200m purse highlights commercial value
Joshua and Fury are expected to share a total purse of roughly $200 million (£150 million), underlining the financial scale of a contest that has survived years of negotiations and competing venue proposals.
Wembley Stadium in London and Madison Square Garden in New York had previously emerged as leading options before Cardiff was selected.
Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, credited British fans for their support in bringing the fight to the UK.
‘Forever indebted to the UK public for their support of Anthony Joshua. We couldn’t have got this over the line without you,’ Hearn said.
The fighters will begin the promotional build-up with a press conference in London on September 30. The fight could be staged in the early hours of December 12 UK time to accommodate television audiences in the United States.
Cardiff hosts heavyweight blockbuster
The Principality Stadium has hosted major international sporting events, including Champions League and FA Cup finals, as well as Wales national football and rugby matches.
Its selection allows Cardiff to host one of the biggest heavyweight boxing events in recent British sporting history.
Fury, 38, has won 36 of his 39 professional fights and previously held the WBC, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles. He returned from retirement this year and defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov and Mariusz Wach.
Joshua, 36, has 30 wins from 34 fights and has previously held the WBO and IBF titles. He most recently defeated Kristian Prenga after losing his IBF title to Daniel Dubois in 2024.
Both fighters have suffered defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, with Fury losing twice to the Ukrainian in 2024 and Joshua suffering back-to-back losses in 2021 and 2022.
Despite both fighters being beyond their respective peaks, the bout is expected to attract global attention given their profiles and the decade-long anticipation surrounding the matchup.
‘Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,’ Alalshikh said.
‘This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history. I am very happy to make this fight happen for the fans.’
Joshua posted on Instagram following the announcement: ‘I am inspiring a generation.’
Matchroom, Joshua’s promoter, added, ‘THE WAIT IS OVER. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally collide.’