Joshua v Prenga - all you need to know

Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga face off as they look each other in the eye, Joshua wearing a white top and Prenga in a black hoodie

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

Kristian Prenga (right) is unbeaten since suffering the only defeat of his professional career in February 2017

Published32 minutes ago

Anthony Joshua returns to the ring against Kristian Prenga on Saturday in a warm-up bout for his planned super-fight with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury.

Joshua, 36, last fought in December when he beat Jake Paul with a devastating sixth-round knockout in Miami.

Albania's Prenga, 35, carries knockout power but has never established himself as a world level contender in the heavyweight division.

Will Joshua get the win required to keep alive hopes of the fight with Fury? Or can Prenga pull off a major upset?

Here is all you need to know about the bout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

How to follow Joshua v Prenga on the BBC

Radio commentary from Jeddah will begin from about 20:30 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app, on Saturday, 25 July.

Coverage will be presented from ringside by Jonathan Overend, alongside two-weight world champion Natasha Jonas and boxing expert Steve Bunce.

Live text commentary will begin at 20:00 BST on the BBC Sport website and app.

Briton Hamzah Sheeraz makes the first defence of his WBO super-middleweight title against Germany's Simon Zachenhuber in the co-main event.

Fellow Briton Josh Kelly also defends his IBF light-middleweight belt against Ireland's Caoimhin Agyarko.

We will bring you round-by-round updates for both world title fights and the headline act of Joshua v Prenga.

You can also follow the action through fight week on BBC Sport via the 5 Live Boxing podcast with daily episodes.

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What time are the ringwalks for Joshua v Prenga?

Joshua and Prenga are not expected to make their walk to the ring before 23:00 BST.

Joshua v Prenga undercard & running order

Anthony Joshua v Kristian Prenga - heavyweight
Hamzah Sheeraz (c) v Simon Zachenhuber - WBO super-middleweight title
Josh Kelly (c) v Caoimhin Agyarko - IBF light-middleweight world title
Reito Tsutsumi v Alvino Herrera - super-featherweight
Jacob Bank v Pawel August - super-middleweight

How do Joshua and Prenga's records compare?

Joshua is just shy of three months older than Prenga, but their careers have followed very different paths.

After winning gold at the 2012 Olympics, Joshua turned professional the following year and went on to become a two-time heavyweight world champion.

Joshua won each of his first 16 fights inside the distance in a run that culminated in him beating Charles Martin to claim the IBF title.

His crowning moment came in 2017 when he stopped Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round at Wembley to unify titles - adding the WBA belt to his collection.

In 2018, Joshua outpointed Joseph Parker - winning by unanimous decision - to claim the WBO title.

Joshua tasted defeat for the first time against American Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 but earned revenge to reclaim the titles in a rematch.

He was beaten in successive fights by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022, before embarking on a four-fight winning streak to earn the chance to become a three-time world champion.

However, fellow Briton Daniel Dubois, who held the IBF belt, put in a career-best performance to beat Joshua by sixth-round knockout in September 2024 at Wembley Stadium.

Joshua returned to the ring in December 2025 and stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul to take his overall record to 29 wins and four defeats, with 26 of his victories coming by knockout.

Prenga made his professional debut three years after Joshua and won his first four fights by knockout.

The Albanian fell to his first and only loss in his fifth bout and steps into the ring on Saturday on a 16-fight winning streak, although he does not have any recognisable names on his record.

Prenga does carry a knockout threat after picking up all 20 of his victories in that fashion.

What belts are on the line in Joshua v Prenga?

There are no belts on the line, but there is a big prize waiting on the other side of the contest for Joshua if he wins.

After a decade-long saga, Joshua and British rival Fury have signed a deal to finally get in the ring.

What is the latest for Fury v Joshua?

Fury came out of retirement to beat Arslanbek Makhmudov in April and Joshua was expected to be his next opponent.

But Joshua has not fought since he was a passenger in a fatal car crash in late December and wanted to take a warm-up fight with Prenga first.

Fury has also agreed to a warm-up bout and fights 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday.

If both Britons come through victorious then they are expected to share a ring later this year.

A date or venue has not been announced, though Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has previously suggested it could land in November on streaming giant Netflix.

Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, who is co-ordinating the all-British bout, said it could take place at Wembley Stadium if local authorities are happy to stage the event in the early hours of the morning to accommodate a global audience.

Sources close to London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan have told BBC Sport such a proposal is "doable" while bosses of Cardiff's Principality Stadium also said they would be ready to host.

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