Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s long-awaited heavyweight showdown will go ahead in the United Kingdom this year unless either fighter suffers a defeat beforehand, promoter Eddie Hearn has said.
Hearn, who represents Joshua through Matchroom Boxing, insisted the all-British contest is contractually tied to the UK and any attempt to move it to the United States would require fresh negotiations.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Hearn said no formal request had been made by Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh to stage the fight outside Britain despite speculation linking the bout with Las Vegas.
“If he comes to me and says, I want to do the fight in America for this reason, we’ll all be very disappointed because I don’t think there’s a person on the planet that doesn’t think this fight should take place in the UK,” Hearn said.
“But he’s paying the bill, and the bill is extortionate. So you’ve got to find a way to make it work. So, if they want to change anything in the contract, we have to renegotiate the contract and start again.”
Hearn added that the fight would still take place in the UK if Joshua’s team does not agree to any proposed changes.
The Matchroom chief also dismissed claims by UFC president Dana White that he would promote the event, saying White’s Zuffa Boxing has no current role in the fight under the existing agreement.
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Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, recently revealed that discussions would soon take place to determine the date and venue of the contest. Hearn expects those talks to happen next week.
However, he stressed that the biggest threat to the fight remains the possibility of either boxer losing before they eventually meet in the ring.
Joshua is scheduled to face Kristian Prenga on July 25, while Fury is expected to take part in a proposed interim bout on August 1.
“I’m 100% confident it happens in 2026 unless someone gets beat,” Hearn said.
Joshua, 36, and Fury, 37, are two of Britain’s most recognisable heavyweight boxers. The proposed blockbuster fight has been orchestrated by Alalshikh, with both camps negotiating directly with Saudi organisers over the terms of the event.
Hearn also maintained that neither Matchroom nor Warren’s Queensberry Promotions could act as lead promoter because it would create an imbalance between the two camps.
“The contract clearly states that Dana White and Zuffa Boxing, or anyone associated, cannot be the promoters of this event,” Hearn said.
“The only way Dana could have any involvement in the show is if we let him. And it’s not really how I’m feeling at the moment.”
