After an extended layoff, former unified heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua is set to return July 25 in Riyadh, where he will meet Christian Prenga in a Riyadh Season main-card heavyweight bout. The fight marks Joshua’s first appearance since December 2025, and it arrives at a time when the division is still searching for the next clear blockbuster outside the title picture.
Joshua’s last outing ended with a sixth-round knockout of Jake Paul, a crossover fight that brought attention but did little to settle where he stands among the sport’s true heavyweight contenders. This matchup with Prenga looks more like a reset: a dangerous puncher across from him, but also a fight Joshua is expected to control if he is still serious about a late-career run at the biggest names available.
Prenga, an Albania-born heavyweight who now lives and trains in the United States, brings real stopping power. All 20 of his professional wins have come by knockout, and he most recently flattened Joe Jones in the opening round on Feb. 21 in Atlantic City. That kind of one-shot threat makes him more interesting than a typical comeback opponent, even if Joshua enters as the clear A-side.
There is also bigger business behind this booking. Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed the Prenga fight is the first step in a broader deal with Saudi organizers, which tells you this is not being treated as a one-off. If Joshua looks sharp, the long-discussed showdown with Tyson Fury could finally move from fantasy matchmaking to a real November target.
For Joshua, the assignment is straightforward: win cleanly, avoid unnecessary damage, and remind fans he is still one of the division’s central figures. For Prenga, this is a career-changing chance to crash the heavyweight elite with one punch. The result should shape whether Joshua heads into the fall as a true Fury option or as another former champion still chasing relevance.