Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally settle their long-running rivalry in the ring when the two British heavyweight stars meet at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on 11 December.
The long-awaited all-British contest, which has taken more than a decade to make, will be broadcast globally on Netflix, with the build-up beginning when the two former world champions meet at a news conference in London on Wednesday, 30 September.
Joshua and Fury had already signed contracts for the fight earlier this year, but organisers had yet to confirm a date and venue. Wembley Stadium in London and Madison Square Garden in New York were previously considered, although issues surrounding both venues eventually led to Cardiff emerging as the chosen location.
The Principality Stadium has experience of hosting major boxing events, including Joe Calzaghe’s 2007 fight against Mikkel Kessler, which began at 01:00 GMT. The possibility of another late start has already attracted attention, with organisers considering a schedule that would cater for viewers in the United States.
Fury-Joshua could start in the early hours
The precise ringwalk time has not yet been confirmed, although BBC Sport understands the main event could take place in the early hours of Saturday morning in the UK.
A late start would not be without precedent. Ricky Hatton’s famous victory over Kostya Tszyu in Manchester in 2005 began at about 02:00 local time to accommodate American television audiences. Calzaghe’s unification victory over Jeff Lacy was also staged at a similar hour, while his 2007 win over Kessler in Cardiff was influenced by the US television schedule.
The UFC has also used similar timings for major events in Britain. UFC 304 in Manchester in 2024 began at 03:00 BST, with Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad eventually meeting in the main event after 05:30.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has played down suggestions that Fury-Joshua could begin as late as 03:00 GMT. A ringwalk around 01:00 or 02:00 GMT would correspond to 20:00 or 21:00 on the US east coast.
Major figures involved in the promotion
The fight is being promoted through a collaboration between Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and UFC chief Dana White, adding another major name to an event that has taken years to organise.
Alalshikh welcomed the announcement, saying the contest would finally bring two of the leading heavyweights of their generation together.
“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.”
White also highlighted the scale of the contest, pointing to the combined records of the two fighters and their history at heavyweight.
“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,” White said.
“On December 11, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide – and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”
Joshua gets the British fight he wanted
Joshua had pushed for the fight to take place in the UK and will now get his wish after Cardiff was selected as the venue.
His promoter Eddie Hearn credited British supporters with helping the contest reach this stage.
“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 announcement marked another major step in a rivalry that had repeatedly appeared close to happening before negotiations collapsed.
In 2020, the two camps agreed the basis of a two-fight deal, while contracts were signed in 2021 for an undisputed heavyweight contest. That plan fell apart after Deontay Wilder’s successful arbitration case forced Fury into a third fight with the American.
Joshua later accepted a 60-40 split to challenge Fury in 2022, but that attempt also failed to produce the long-awaited meeting.
Now, the two fighters have a confirmed date and venue.
Joshua, 36, marked the announcement by posting on Instagram: “I am inspiring a generation,” while Fury, 38, had yet to comment.
What happens next?
Joshua and Fury will meet face-to-face at their 30 September news conference in London, officially beginning the promotional build-up to their December showdown.
For British boxing fans, the fight represents the conclusion of years of negotiations, failed deals and uncertainty over whether the two heavyweight stars would ever share a ring.
With the contest now confirmed for Cardiff, attention will turn towards the final preparations, the official fight schedule and the growing anticipation ahead of 11 December.
The fight’s exact ringwalk time remains to be confirmed, but one thing is now settled: Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally meet in the ring in Britain.
