Joshua vs Prenga: Date, UK Time, Ringwalks & Prediction

Who wins Joshua vs Prenga?

By Ben | Split Decision
Updated: June 01, 2026, 17:00 BST
Published: May 10, 2026, 14:00 BST

Anthony Joshua, 29-4, 26 KOs, returns against Albanian puncher Kristian Prenga, 20-1, 20 KOs, on Saturday, July 25, 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Main event ringwalks are expected around 10pm to 11pm BST, live worldwide on DAZN pay-per-view.

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Joshua and Prenga came face-to-face for the first time on the 1st June, for the launch press conference in London, where organisers confirmed the fight has been moved from Riyadh to Jeddah. Joshua framed the bout as the first step in a bigger 2026 run, while Prenga leaned into the underdog role and warned Joshua not to underestimate his power.

For Joshua, this is the first step back, and the real prize sits months down the road in a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury. Joshua last appeared in December 2025, when he knocked out Jake Paul inside six rounds in Miami and broke the YouTuber’s jaw. Ten days later, Joshua was involved in a fatal crash in Nigeria that killed two close team members. The Watford man walked away with minor injuries, then went understandably quiet.

Prenga, by contrast, arrives as a near-unknown fighter, born in Orosh, Albania, and based in New Jersey. He carries a perfect knockout ratio across 20 wins and used the launch press conference to lean into that danger. The Albanian warned Joshua that if he lands clean, the former champion will have “never felt anything like” his punch, adding that he does not respect anyone once the bell rings.

As of May 2026, Joshua sits No.4 with the WBC, WBA and WBO and No.6 with the IBF, so a clean win keeps him ranked and busy while the Fury negotiations firm up. Beat Prenga and the path stays open. Slip up and the whole Fury project collapses overnight. You can track where both men sit in our latest heavyweight rankings before fight night.

When is Joshua vs Prenga? UK time and date

Joshua faces Prenga on Saturday, July 25, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a card billed as “The Comeback”. This is a non-title heavyweight contest over 12 rounds, designed to shake off ring rust and warm-up for the Fury fight later in the year. The show forms part of an Esports World Cup card and streams worldwide on DAZN.

Joshua vs Prenga Full Fight Card

Matchroom has confirmed the main event, but the full supporting card has not yet been finalised. Since the show sits under the Esports World Cup banner in Riyadh, expect a mix of regional talent and at least one or two recognisable names by fight week. Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season cards tend to run deep.

Where to watch Joshua vs Prenga: TV channel, DAZN and streaming

The fight is listed on DAZN pay-per-view worldwide, including the UK, at the time of writing. There is no free-to-air option, with buyers able to purchase the event as a one-off, while DAZN Ultimate subscribers are expected to have PPV events included in their package. Full timings remain TBC, so check the official DAZN listing again during fight week.

You can sign up to DAZN through our affiliate link at dazn.com/sdboxing. Same price to you, whilst supporting the site.

Joshua vs Prenga ringwalk UK time

Riyadh runs three hours ahead of the UK in summer, so the timings work out unusually late on a Saturday night for British fans. The DAZN broadcast starts early in the evening, then builds across the card toward the main event. Expect Joshua and Prenga to walk sometime between 10pm and 11pm BST, depending on the final running order.

Joshua vs Prenga tale of the tape and breakdown

Anthony Joshua:

Kristian Prenga:

Joshua recent form

Prenga recent form

Joshua next fight after Prenga

A win keeps Joshua on the roadmap he laid out at the launch press conference: Prenga first, Fury next, then another push toward heavyweight titles. Ring Magazine has reported that a Joshua against Fury bout is signed for the final three months of 2026 in the UK, streamed on Netflix, with no date or venue locked in yet. So the plan is simple: get through Prenga, then chase the biggest all-British heavyweight fight of the era.

If Prenga lands the upset, the whole map redraws. Fury would likely seek a different dance partner, and Joshua’s career would face hard questions at 36. Either way, keep an eye on our boxing schedule for confirmed dates from both camps.

Joshua vs Prenga prediction

Eddie Hearn has not hidden his confidence. “Let him do his thing July 25th, and I believe he’ll smash up Prenga, and then I believe he’ll fight Fury,” he told The Stomping Ground, framing this as a controlled return rather than a genuine 50-50. Joshua has also been sharpening up in camp alongside Oleksandr Usyk, which tells you how seriously the team is treating the comeback despite the gap in opposition.

At the launch press conference, Joshua sounded less like a fighter easing back in and more like one trying to put a full year back together. He spoke about using boxing as structure and purpose after the fatal crash in Nigeria, while making it clear that Prenga, Fury and another title push are all part of the same roadmap. That does not make Prenga a 50-50 opponent, but it does add a little more pressure to what should have been a routine comeback night.

Split Decision backs Joshua to win by stoppage, rounds 3 to 6. The honest danger is: a 36-year-old returning from real personal trauma after a long layoff, against a man who has never heard the final bell on his own terms. One clean Prenga right hand on a rusty Joshua is exactly the nightmare he faced against the Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr.

Joshua vs Prenga odds

Joshua is a huge favourite, as you would expect. Some UK books pricing him as short as 1/40, while Prenga drifted out to roughly 14/1, or +1100 to +1400. Depending on the book, that implies Joshua is being priced somewhere in the mid-to-high 90 percent range, which feels about right given the chasm in level and pedigree.

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