Joshua comes back twice to knock out Prenga and set up Fury showdown

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff and The Associated Press, reported that Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns before stopping Albania’s Kristian Prenga in the second round of a non-title heavyweight bout at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia. The fight took place on Saturday, with the report published on July 26, 2026, and was framed as a key step toward a possible all-British matchup with Tyson Fury.

Joshua was dropped by an uppercut within the opening 30 seconds and was put down again later in the first round, but he beat the count both times and made it to the bell. In the second round, the former two-time world champion rallied with a burst of punches and ended the contest with a right hook that sent Prenga through the lower ropes. The win improved Joshua’s record to 30-4 with 27 knockouts, according to the report, while Prenga entered the fight at 20-1 with all 20 wins by knockout.

The bout was also Joshua’s first since a December car crash in Nigeria in which Al Jazeera reported he was injured and two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, died. Joshua acknowledged them after the victory, describing the comeback as driven by spirit as well as punching power.

The result keeps alive plans for Joshua to face Fury later this year. Joshua’s manager, Eddie Hearn, has said both fighters signed a contract contingent on winning warm-up fights. Fury met his condition on Friday in Pattaya, Thailand, where he stopped 46-year-old Mariusz Wach after the seventh round.