Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns by Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on July 26, 2026, rallying in the second round to secure a technical knockout victory. The dramatic comeback cleared the path for a finalized, long-awaited heavyweight showdown against Tyson Fury later this year.
Anthony Joshua added another dramatic chapter to his career at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, overcoming an early crisis that nearly ended his night in a shocking upset. Fighting for the first time since a December car crash in Nigeria that injured him and claimed the lives of two close friends, the 36-year-old former world heavyweight champion found himself in immediate peril against little-known Albanian challenger Kristian Prenga.
Within the opening 30 seconds of the bout, a thunderous right uppercut from Prenga sent Joshua crashing to the canvas. The Briton managed to beat the count, only to take another heavy count late in the opening round under a relentless assault.
The Second-Round Turnaround in Jeddah
Joshua answered the bell for the second round with an aggressive offensive reset. He unleashed a flurry of hard right hands that overwhelmed Prenga, sending the challenger crashing into the ropes. The referee stepped in to wave off the contest, handing Joshua a technical knockout victory that improved his professional record to 30-4.
Anthony Joshua stated via Reuters that Prenga was a serious fighter, strong, and durable who gave him a good test, adding that this is what champions do when they rise, get knocked down, stand up, and keep going.
The victory carried profound emotional weight given the seven months that had passed since the fatal crash in Nigeria.
Path Cleared for Tyson Fury Showdown
With the victory secured, Joshua clears the remaining hurdle toward an anticipated domestic super-fight against Tyson Fury. The path forward was simultaneously unlocked on Friday in Thailand, where Fury defeated Mariusz Wach in an unbroadcast bout that ended when the 46-year-old Polish fighter retired on his stool before the eighth round.
Eddie Hearn, promoter via Reuters, remarked that when someone goes down a couple of times in the first round and looks like their career might be over, he had to dig deep one more time to get up and fight on.
Hearn confirmed after the bout that the administrative groundwork for the collision between the two British heavyweight stars is already complete. The contract for the Joshua-Fury bout is fully signed, setting the stage for a clash later in the year following Joshua’s survival test in Saudi Arabia.
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