The highly anticipated heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could be staged in the United Kingdom after negotiations over a proposed venue in the United States hit a major stumbling block.
The fight, which has been in the works for years, had increasingly been linked with Madison Square Garden in New York, with Netflix and Saudi organisers reportedly favouring a US venue to maximise its appeal to American audiences.
However, Joshua’s camp has insisted that the bout should take place in the UK, with his promoter, Eddie Hearn, maintaining that Joshua’s contract provides for the fight to be held in Britain.
Talks to stage the contest at Wembley Stadium in London were reopened earlier this month after Hearn announced that negotiations had resumed. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also expressed his willingness to help bring the fight to Wembley.
However, the latest reports indicate that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium has emerged as another leading option. The venue could potentially accommodate a late-night or early-morning start designed to suit the US television audience, although approval is still required to override its normal 10:30pm curfew.
The proposed late start could see the main event take place at around 2am UK time, allowing the fight to be broadcast at a more convenient hour for viewers in the United States.
The venue dispute has created uncertainty around the fight. Fury recently claimed that Joshua was backing out of the bout and said he was prepared to move on, while Hearn has insisted that a legally binding agreement remains in place.
Despite the uncertainty, both fighters remain contracted for the highly anticipated clash, and negotiations continue over where the bout will ultimately be held. The fight is expected to take place later in 2026 if the outstanding issues can be resolved.
A UK venue would allow the all-British heavyweight rivalry to take place in front of a large home crowd, with Wembley and the Principality Stadium currently among the leading possibilities.
