Anthony Joshua returns to the ring against Kristian Prenga on Saturday 25 July 2026 at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia.
The 12-round heavyweight contest headlines a 13-fight card featuring two world-title bouts. DAZN coverage begins at 6pm BST, with the Joshua vs Prenga ring walks currently expected at approximately 10.52pm.
For Joshua, this is about more than simply adding another victory. It is his first fight since stopping Jake Paul in December 2025 and potentially the final hurdle before the long-awaited Tyson Fury showdown later this year.
Here is everything you need to know, including the full Joshua vs Prenga undercard, UK start time, DAZN PPV details and the latest BetVictor odds.
When Is Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga?
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga takes place on Saturday 25 July 2026. Originally announced for Riyadh, the event will now be held at the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The main event is scheduled for 12 rounds at heavyweight. No title will be on the line, although the undercard contains WBO and IBF world championship fights.
Joshua vs Prenga UK Start Time
- Date: Saturday 25 July 2026
- Venue: Jeddah Superdome, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- UK broadcast start: 6pm BST
- Main-event ring walks: Approximately 10.52pm BST
- UK broadcaster: DAZN
- PPV price: £19.99
- Main event: Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga
- Scheduled distance: 12 rounds
The main-event time could move depending on the length of the undercard bouts.
How to Watch Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga in the UK
Joshua vs Prenga will be shown live in the UK on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
The event currently costs £19.99 for UK viewers and is included for eligible DAZN Ultimate subscribers. Coverage begins at 6pm BST before the expected Joshua vs Prenga ring walks at approximately 10.52pm.
The card can be streamed through the DAZN app or website on compatible smart TVs, mobile devices, tablets, games consoles and web browsers. It will not be broadcast on Sky Sports or TNT Sports.
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga Full Card
The complete Joshua vs Prenga card contains 13 fights, with British world champions Hamzah Sheeraz and Josh Kelly defending their titles beneath the heavyweight main event.
- Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga – Heavyweight, 12 rounds
- Hamzah Sheeraz vs Simon Zachenhuber – WBO super-middleweight title
- Josh Kelly vs Caoimhin Agyarko – IBF super-welterweight title
- Reito Tsutsumi vs Alvino Herrera Meza – Super-featherweight
- Oleksandr Khyzhniak vs Lenny Patrach – Light-heavyweight
- Jacob Bank vs Pawel August – Super-middleweight
- Mikie Tallon vs Orlando Pino – Super-flyweight
- Nishant Dev vs Cesar Diaz – Super-welterweight
- Ziyad Almaayouf vs Frank Lucian Mango – Welterweight
- Mohammed Alakel vs Lydon Chircop – Lightweight
- Sultan Almohammed vs Efren Besalduch – Super-featherweight
- Omar Hikal vs Brian Castellano – Super-middleweight
- Mahmoud Mobark vs Bryan Zapata – Super-lightweight
The card and running order remain subject to late changes.
Two World-Title Fights on the Undercard
The original version of this card looked thin. That is no longer the case.
Hamzah Sheeraz makes the first defence of his WBO super-middleweight title against Germany’s Simon Zachenhuber. Sheeraz claimed the belt in Egypt in May and brings an unbeaten 23-0-1 record into his first appearance as a defending world champion.
Zachenhuber arrives at 29-1, with his only professional defeat coming against Pawel August earlier in 2026. Sheeraz will enter as a strong favourite, but this remains a legitimate championship fight rather than a routine undercard appearance.
Josh Kelly also defends his IBF super-welterweight title for the first time. He won the belt by majority decision against Bakhram Murtazaliev in January and now meets the undefeated Caoimhin Agyarko.
Agyarko is 18-0 and enters his first world-title contest. Kelly’s movement and counter-punching will be tested against a challenger determined to make the most of a long-awaited opportunity.
These two bouts give the card considerably more depth than Joshua’s comeback fight alone.
Who Is Kristian Prenga?
Kristian Prenga is a 35-year-old Albanian heavyweight based in New Jersey. He stands six feet five inches tall and enters the biggest fight of his career with a record of 20 wins and one defeat.
Every one of his victories has come inside the distance. That statistic immediately catches the eye, although it needs context. Prenga has built his record largely on the regional circuit and has never faced an opponent close to Joshua’s level.
His most recognisable victory came against experienced American Joey Dawejko in October 2024. Prenga was awarded a fifth-round stoppage after Dawejko could not continue because of a biceps injury.
He has since recorded early wins over Juan Torres, Willie Jake Jr, Brandon Carmack and Joe Jones. His most recent outing ended with a first-round stoppage of Jones in February 2026.
Prenga’s only defeat came in the fifth fight of his career, when Giovanni Auriemma beat him on points over eight rounds in 2017. He has won 16 consecutive contests since then.
Saturday will be Prenga’s first 12-round assignment and his first appearance on a major international stage. His size and power offer something for Joshua to respect, but his experience at this level remains the central question.
Anthony Joshua Returns to the Heavyweight Division
Joshua enters with 29 wins, four defeats and 26 stoppage victories. His career has already included Olympic gold, two reigns as unified heavyweight champion and some of the biggest stadium fights British boxing has produced.
His position among the greatest British heavyweights of all time is secure. What remains undecided is how the closing chapter of his career will look.
The 36-year-old last faced a recognised heavyweight contender when Daniel Dubois stopped him at Wembley in September 2024. Joshua returned 15 months later and knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round of their crossover bout.
Ten days after that victory, Joshua was involved in a car crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Nigeria. He sustained minor injuries, while his close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele tragically lost their lives.
Joshua has spoken openly about the effect of that loss. His return against Prenga therefore carries an emotional significance that goes beyond the proposed Fury fight waiting later in the year.
Joshua vs Prenga Fight Preview
The difference in elite-level experience is substantial.
Joshua has completed championship rounds against Wladimir Klitschko, Oleksandr Usyk, Andy Ruiz Jr, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin. Prenga has never fought for a major world title or faced a ranked heavyweight contender.
Joshua should have the advantages in hand speed, footwork, accuracy and big-fight composure. Establishing his jab early would allow him to control the distance before bringing his straight right hand and combinations into play.
Prenga’s best opportunity may come during the opening rounds. He is naturally aggressive, carries genuine size and has made a career out of ending fights early. Allowing him to set his feet and swing freely would introduce unnecessary danger.
The knockout record deserves respect, but it does not erase the difference between stopping regional opposition and landing cleanly against a former unified world champion.
Joshua does not need to chase a spectacular finish from the opening bell. A controlled performance, sharp defence and gradual increase in pressure would provide a more useful test of his form after seven months outside the ring.
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga Odds
Anthony Joshua is the overwhelming favourite in the BetVictor fight-result market.
At the latest check, Joshua was priced at 1/25, with Kristian Prenga available at 10/1 and the draw at 28/1. Prices can move before the opening bell, so the live market displayed above should take priority.
The outright prices reflect the difference in experience and opposition faced. Joshua has competed at heavyweight world-title level for almost a decade, while Prenga is entering his first major international main event.
Visit the dedicated Anthony Joshua odds page for his latest fight markets, recent record and future betting options.
For prices across the entire card, explore BetVictor’s latest boxing odds and betting markets.
Odds checked on 23 July 2026 and subject to change.
Joshua vs Prenga Betting Markets
The one-sided fight-result market means much of the attention may turn towards when and how the contest ends.
Method of Victory
This market covers Joshua or Prenga winning by knockout, technical knockout, disqualification or decision, alongside the possibility of a draw.
Joshua has stopped 26 of his 29 defeated opponents, while all 20 of Prenga’s victories have finished inside the distance. Our guide to TKO vs KO in boxing explains how the different stoppage results are settled.
Round Betting
Round betting allows customers to select the exact round in which either fighter wins. Joshua’s experience of longer fights must be balanced against Prenga’s record of early finishes and limited exposure to championship distance.
Round Groups
Instead of selecting one exact round, this market groups several rounds together. Examples can include rounds one to three, four to six or seven to nine.
Total Rounds
The total-rounds market asks whether the contest will last longer or shorter than a stated point. Settlement rules can vary, particularly when half-round totals are used, so check the market details before placing a bet.
Fight to Go the Distance
This is a yes-or-no market on whether the fight reaches the final bell. A 12-round heavyweight bout officially goes the distance when the judges are required to decide the result.
What Does Joshua vs Prenga Mean for Tyson Fury?
The larger story surrounding Joshua’s comeback remains Tyson Fury.
Contracts for the long-awaited all-British heavyweight fight were announced in April, with the contest expected during the final quarter of 2026. November has been discussed, and Netflix holds the broadcast rights, but the exact date and venue have not yet been confirmed.
Joshua is not the only fighter with another obstacle to overcome. Fury faces 46-year-old Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on Friday 24 July, just one day before Joshua enters the ring in Jeddah.
The proposed Fury vs Joshua Battle of Britain depends on both men successfully navigating their respective warm-up fights.
A defeat for either would place the entire event in doubt. Even an injury or difficult 12-round contest could complicate plans for a quick turnaround later in the year.
That creates an unusual form of pressure for Joshua. He is expected to beat Prenga comfortably, but must do so without becoming reckless, suffering damage or allowing his attention to drift towards Fury too early.
Can Prenga Ruin the Tyson Fury Fight?
The odds make clear how strongly Joshua is favoured, but heavyweight boxing has punished complacency before.
Joshua experienced that himself when Andy Ruiz Jr stepped in as a late replacement and stopped him at Madison Square Garden in 2019. Prenga has not shown that level of ability, but he does possess the size and punching power to make an unfocused Joshua uncomfortable.
For Prenga, there is very little pressure. He enters as the outsider against a globally recognised former champion, with one performance capable of transforming his career.
Joshua carries the greater burden. Victory is expected, the Fury fight is waiting and anything short of a convincing display will invite questions about whether he is ready for one final run at the highest level.
The Final Word
Joshua vs Prenga is a comeback fight with a much larger contest looming behind it.
Joshua is expected to win, but the performance will matter. After seven months away and an extraordinarily difficult period outside the ring, British boxing fans will want to see whether the speed, confidence and finishing instincts remain intact.
Prenga brings size, an unbeaten run stretching back to 2017 and a record containing 20 stoppage victories. What he lacks is anything resembling Joshua’s experience under world-title pressure.
With Sheeraz and Kelly defending world championships on the undercard, the event now offers far more than a single heavyweight warm-up. The final question is whether Joshua can finish the night with his hand raised and the Tyson Fury fight still intact.
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