Joshua targets Africa and Fury: Hearn reveals 2026 plans

According to promoter Eddie Hearn’s statements, Anthony Joshua is considering the possibility of fighting in Ghana and Nigeria before facing Tyson Fury in a mega fight scheduled for 2026. Joshua, who will turn 36 next week, hasn’t been in the ring since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. After recovering from an elbow injury, Hearn indicated that Joshua will fight again at the end of this year or the beginning of 2026. It is speculated that Martin Bakole and Deontay Wilder could be Joshua’s next opponents, after the longest period of inactivity of his professional career. Bakole, 33 years old and originally from Congo, could be a contender to fight in Nigeria. Wilder, who will turn 40 this month, obtained his second victory in six fights in June and is expected to fight in early 2026.

Initially I thought he wouldn’t fight this year, but now it’s possible.

Eddie Hearn

Hearn revealed that there have been approaches from Africa, something that Joshua wants to do before retiring from boxing. “We’ve had an approach from Ghana, and now from Nigeria. I think it would be incredible for AJ to fight in Africa.” Joshua and Hearn’s main priority is to secure a highly anticipated fight with their English rival, Tyson Fury. Both boxers have held conversations over the last five years to face each other, without the fight having materialized so far.

Hearn has been in conversations about the possibility of a showdown between Joshua and Fury with Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, an influential figure in world boxing. Hearn added that Joshua is eager to stay active and gain momentum for his future fights. In addition, he mentioned a plan that is being developed for Joshua, which includes the fight against Tyson Fury. Hearn believes that Turki Alalshikh is possibly the only person capable of making the fight with Tyson Fury happen, given that both boxers will require a considerable sum of money. The fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is considered one of the most important events in the boxing world. Hearn concluded by saying: “We are ready. One of the great things about Turki is that he will deal individually with both parties.”