Anthony Joshua And Tyson Fury Sign For Two Unified Heavyweight Title Fights

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have signed an agreement for two unified heavyweight title fights, with Eddie Hearn telling Sky Sports, "All parties have signed, and we will work hard in the coming weeks to confirm the date and venue of the biggest boxing match."

The negotiations have centered on an all-British heavyweight unification, with the fight expected to be staged in 2021, the first in June or July and the rematch in November or December, according to RMC Sport.

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Hearn said the first fight could be held in multiple locations, including Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Qatar, China, Dubai, the United States and the United Kingdom, as Sky Sports notes.

In the same reporting, ESPN said the contract provides for an even split of earnings, 50-50 for the first fight, and 60-40 for the rematch, with the winner taking the larger share.

The signing took place on Saturday as part of a services agreement involving Matchroom Boxing, Top Rank, Queensbury, and MTK, based in Dubai, ESPN reported.

Eddie Hearn told BBC Sport that the all-British heavyweight fight is contractually committed to the UK, saying, "any attempt to move it to the United States would need Joshua's team to agree new terms."

Hearn added that if Joshua’s team does not agree to potential new terms, the fight would still "100%" go ahead in the UK this year, while he said he has had no formal request from Turki Alalshikh to move the bout outside the UK.

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Hearn said he expects a meeting next week between different promoters to determine the date and location, and he stressed the only thing that can stop the bout is Joshua losing to Kristian Prenga on 25 July or Fury being beaten in his own proposed interim fight.

The BBC reporting also said Hearn expects the meeting to happen next week and that he is "100% confident it happens in 2026 unless someone gets beat," tying the timeline to results in the interim fights.

Hearn further rejected Dana White’s claims that he would promote the event, saying Zuffa Boxing has no current role unless Joshua’s side agrees to change the contract.

Alongside the signed plan for the unified heavyweight fights, Eddie Hearn said Joshua needs a tune-up fight in July against someone at the same level as Arslanbek Makhmudov before facing Fury.

RDS reported that Tyson Fury returned from a 15-month absence by beating Arslanbek Makhmudov in London on Saturday, and then challenged Anthony Joshua immediately afterward.

Eddie Hearn said the agreement proposed to his side did not foresee fighting Tyson Fury straight away, explaining, "c’est notre option préférée," and that they hope to return to the ring in July before fighting Fury in November.

In the BBC’s account of the conditions around the bout, Hearn said the only thing that can stop the fight is Joshua losing to Kristian Prenga on 25 July or Fury being beaten in his interim fight, which is mooted to take place on 1 August.

The stakes were framed around timing and outcomes, with Hearn telling BBC Sport, "I'm 100% confident it happens in 2026 unless someone gets beat," while the RDS report placed the Fury-Joshua meeting in November in ongoing negotiations.