Anthony Joshua will face Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on 25 July as he returns to the ring for the first time since being involved in a car accident that saw two of his friends killed.
The Albanian is expected to serve as a warm-up opponent ahead of Joshua's long-touted fight with Tyson Fury.
Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed a deal to stage the biggest fight in British boxing history has been signed, however there is still no date or venue for a contest that was first spoken about when the pair were battling it out for supremacy of the heavyweight division.
"Signed, sealed, delivered! AJ v Fury is on!" Hearn said on Instagram.
"The biggest piece of business we've ever done but more importantly the one we’ve always wanted. Biggest year of AJ’s career coming up, the comeback is on."
First for Joshua is Prenga, which will be his first appearance since knocking out YouTube star Jake Paul last December. Later that month the British fighter was involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two close friends - Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.
All 20 of Albanian heavyweight Prenga’s wins have come by knockout, but he has yet to face an opponent in Joshua’s class.
"It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring and this is the next step on that journey," Joshua said.
Shortly before Prenga was announced as Joshua’s opponent, Saudi Arabia’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh suggested on social media that his fight with Fury had been agreed.
"To my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed," said Alalshikh, with Ring Magazine reporting that the British rivals would collide in the fourth quarter of the year.
Joshua’s last meaningful fight was against Daniel Dubois in 2024 when he was counted out in the fifth round.
The 36-year-old underwent elbow surgery and also had a shoulder injury, preventing him from returning to the ring until his comeback meeting with Paul in Miami.
"I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-fight deal starting with 25 July in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Joshua said.
"I’m looking forward to competing and picking up where I left off. As I said. The landlord will collect his rent. That is certain."
