LONDON (AP) 鈥� Former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight for the first time since his involvement in a in December when he takes on Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia in July.
Then, it looks like he’s lined up for a long-anticipated bout with British rival Tyson Fury.
鈥淪igned, sealed, delivered! AJ v Fury is on!鈥� Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter at Matchroom, wrote on Instagram on Monday.
There was no immediate comment from Fury’s camp.
The 36-year-old Joshua will fight Prenga, an Albanian with 20 victories and one loss, on July 25 in Riyadh in the headline bout in 鈥淭he Comeback,鈥� which is part of the Esports World Cup Festival.
Joshua鈥檚 last fight was a knockout on Dec. 19. Ten days later, he was injured in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his friends.
鈥淚t鈥檚 no secret I鈥檝e taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring,鈥� Joshua said in a Matchroom statement, 鈥渁nd today is the next step on that journey.鈥�
In the statement, Joshua said the fight with Prenga is the first in a 鈥渕ulti-fight deal.”
Joshua was present when Fury, also a former two-time heavyweight champion, ended a 15-month retirement from the ring when beating Russian-born Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11.
鈥淚 know they have big plans ahead after this fight,鈥� Prenga said. 鈥淚 know they are overlooking me. I鈥檓 happy about that. I will derail their plans and shock the world this July in Saudi Arabia.鈥�
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