BREAKING: Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury confirmed for December 11 in Cardiff

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally meet on December 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, bringing an end to years of failed negotiations between the two British heavyweight rivals.

The long-awaited fight was confirmed on Thursday following weeks of negotiations over the venue, with Cardiff ultimately selected ahead of alternatives including Madison Square Garden in New York and Wembley Stadium.

Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh confirmed that the contest would remain in Britain after previously stating that any official announcement would come from him.

“I can now confirm that Fury Vs Joshua will be coming to the UK,” Alalshikh wrote on X.

The fight will be broadcast globally by Netflix, which has been involved in negotiations alongside Saudi entertainment company Sela and representatives of both fighters. A final start time has yet to be announced, although the event is expected to run later than a conventional British stadium show to accommodate viewers in the United States.

Cardiff became the preferred option after Joshua’s side maintained that the fight should take place in Britain. New York had emerged as a serious alternative during negotiations, but Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn resisted moving the contest away from the UK.

The Principality Stadium offers a retractable roof for a December event and greater flexibility around a late finish than Wembley. Joshua has also fought at the venue twice before, defeating Carlos Takam there in 2017 before unifying against Joseph Parker the following year.

Years of failed attempts finally end

Joshua-Fury has been discussed for much of the past decade without the two ever sharing a professional ring.

The closest previous attempt came in 2021, when an agreement was being developed for an undisputed heavyweight title fight in Saudi Arabia. Those plans collapsed after an arbitrator ruled that Fury was contractually required to face Deontay Wilder for a third time.

Negotiations resumed in 2022 after Joshua’s second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, with Fury publicly offering his rival a WBC title fight. Talks again failed to produce an agreement.

The landscape changed this year after both fighters signed separate agreements for the matchup. An initial plan for later in 2026 still left the date and venue unresolved, and negotiations became increasingly strained as the possibility of staging the fight in the United States gained momentum.

Fury repeatedly criticised the delays and at one point suggested he could instead pursue a third fight with Usyk. Joshua’s team continued to insist on the British venue stipulated in his agreement, eventually leading the parties towards Cardiff.

Both men also had to come through interim fights.

Fury returned from retirement in April to outpoint Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before stopping veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand in July.

Joshua had a considerably more dramatic final appearance before the fight. He was dropped twice in the opening round by Kristian Prenga in Jeddah in July before recovering to stop the Albanian in the second.

Those victories leave Fury at 36-2-1 (25 KOs) and Joshua at 30-4 (27 KOs) heading into their first meeting.

British heavyweight rivals finally meet

Fury and Joshua have occupied the top level of the heavyweight division for much of the past decade but their championship reigns rarely aligned sufficiently for the fight to be completed.

Joshua became unified heavyweight champion during a run that included victories over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin and Andy Ruiz Jnr. He later lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk, rebuilt with four consecutive wins, and was then stopped by Daniel Dubois in September 2024 before returning to winning ways.

Fury dethroned Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 before returning from a lengthy absence to begin his rivalry with Deontay Wilder. He later stopped Wilder twice, held the WBC heavyweight title for several years and lost consecutive decisions to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. Fury announced his retirement in January 2025, only to reverse that decision and return to boxing in 2026, beginning his latest comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April.

Neither man currently holds a major world title, but their rivalry has remained one of the biggest unresolved matchups in British boxing.

Cardiff has its own history with major heavyweight events. Joshua attracted huge crowds for his fights with Takam and Parker, while the Welsh capital also staged Lennox Lewis against Frank Bruno in 1993 at the old National Stadium.

The December 11 meeting will finally add Joshua-Fury to that history.

Further details surrounding the undercard and start time are expected to follow, but after years of negotiations, abandoned plans and false starts, one of the most anticipated all-British fights of its generation is finally set: Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will meet at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.