Fury-Joshua fight locked to U.K. by Joshua's deal, Hearn says

Anthony Joshua's contract for the Tyson Fury superfight mandates a U.K. venue, even though Fury's own deal contains no such requirement, promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed this week.

Speaking to BoxingScene on Friday, Hearn said Joshua's agreement with Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh explicitly states the fight must occur in Britain. "I don't know what [Fury's contract] says about the venue," Hearn said. "I just know what ours says: That, exclusively, the fight must take place in the U.K."

Zuffa Boxing shut out of promotional duties

Hearn added that both contracts bar Dana White's Zuffa Boxing from any promotional involvement, despite White's public claims otherwise. White told reporters last week he would promote the bout and floated the possibility of a U.S. venue. Hearn said Alalshikh — who owns 60 percent of Zuffa — has proposed SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium as potential sites, according to BoxingScene sources.

The Fury and Joshua agreements run through Alalshikh's Sela events arm and name Hearn and promoter Frank Warren as the exclusive promoters of record. Fury is contracted for a Dublin tune-up August 1 before the Joshua clash; Joshua fights Kristian Prenga on July 25 as his own lead-in.

Hearn's comments come amid broader friction between traditional boxing promoters and Zuffa, which has faced cease-and-desist letters from Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN over negotiations involving Ryan Garcia. The Joshua-Fury bout is expected to be finalized for late 2026 or early 2027.

Source: boxingscene.com