Joshua survives knockdowns in risky Prenga tune-up before Fury

Anthony Joshua nearly paid a steep price for taking a warm-up bout ahead of his planned mega-fight with Tyson Fury later this year.

Joshua faced relative unknown Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Jeddah and was dropped twice in the opening round before rallying to stop Prenga via TKO in round two, MMA Mania reports. The former heavyweight champion absorbed a clean uppercut that sent him to the canvas early, then ate another knockdown before the bell. Joshua turned the fight around in the second frame, dismantling Prenga with combinations to secure the finish.

Was the tune-up fight worth the risk?

The bout aired as a $60 pay-per-view on DAZN. Joshua told reporters afterward that he "learned a valuable lesson" from the early trouble, per MMA Mania. The scare came seven months after Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in December 2025 and was involved in a car accident that killed two close friends. According to the report, Joshua appeared mentally off in the first round, raising questions about whether he should have taken a softer opponent before committing to the Fury showdown.

Fury also booked his own tune-up on July 24 in Thailand, stopping journeyman Mariusz Wach by late TKO in a fight that was not broadcast live. That bout followed an April win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and will eventually air on Fury's Netflix reality series. MMA Mania notes that tune-up fights are common in boxing but carry obvious risk when a major payday looms.

Joshua and Fury are expected to meet later in 2026, assuming neither side suffers another setback in the interim.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Monday Morning Hangover: Silly tune-up fight almost derails Fury vs. Joshua mega-fight, but was it the right move?