Tyson Fury has announced plans to return to the ring on August 1 in Dublin, just one week after Anthony Joshua makes his comeback. The British heavyweights are on a collision course for a long-awaited showdown that has been mooted for November, though both fighters are expected to have warm-up bouts first.
Joshua's Comeback
Joshua will face unfancied Albanian Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25, his first fight since a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed two of his closest friends. The bout marks Joshua's return to action after a tragic period.
Fury's Announcement
Fury posted a video on Instagram showing him training in Thailand with the caption: "Let's go August 1, Dublin, Ireland." Promoter Frank Warren is staging a card at the 3Arena in Dublin on that date featuring Pierce O'Leary and Mark Chamberlain, and Fury is expected to appear on the undercard. An opponent has not been named, but Warren has ruled out Andy Ruiz Jr., who dethroned Joshua as world champion in 2019.
Previous Encounter
Fury ended a 16-month retirement in April with a wide points win over Russia's Arslanbek Makhmudov, after which he called out Joshua, who was at ringside. Rather than face off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joshua refused to leave his seat, leading to a verbal exchange where Joshua taunted Fury: "I'm the landlord, remember that. You work for me." Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn later stated: "Signed, sealed, delivered! AJ v Fury is on."
