Anthony Joshua, 36, returns to competitive action against Albania’s Kristian Prenga, 35, in a heavyweight matchup scheduled for Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The bout serves as a preparatory fight for Joshua ahead of his highly anticipated clash with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury, a matchup that has been in development for over a decade.
Joshua last competed in December when he secured a sixth-round knockout victory over Jake Paul in Miami. Prenga, who carries knockout power in his arsenal, has not yet established himself at the world title level despite maintaining an undefeated record in recent years. Joshua holds a professional record of 29 wins and four defeats, with 26 victories by knockout, while Prenga has compiled 20 wins, all by knockout, though without notable opposition on his resume.
The card takes place in Jeddah and features several world title defenses. Briton Hamzah Sheeraz defends his WBO super-middleweight title against Germany’s Simon Zachenhuber in the co-main event, while fellow Briton Josh Kelly defends his IBF light-middleweight belt against Ireland’s Caoimhin Agyarko. Joshua and Prenga are not expected to enter the ring before 23:00 BST, with BBC Radio 5 Live providing commentary beginning at approximately 20:30 BST.
Should Joshua emerge victorious, both he and Fury are expected to proceed with their long-awaited super-fight later in the year. Fury is scheduled to face 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday as his own warm-up bout. While no official date or venue has been confirmed for the Joshua-Fury matchup, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has previously indicated a potential November date on Netflix, with Wembley Stadium, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, and other venues under consideration as possible hosts.