ANTHONY JOSHUA VS RUSSIAN POWERHOUSE CONFIRMED FOR 2026 SHOWDOWN
Heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov claims he has agreed to fight Anthony Joshua "next year." The Russian contender says the deal was made over Instagram, pending his own fight this weekend.
Anthony Joshua is making a comeback to boxing, and a new opponent has entered the fray.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been linked to a number of possible bouts in his upcoming comeback to competition, including a historic journey to Africa.
Additionally, the Watford native has been urged to spoil Oleksandr Usyk's comeback above all else, as a long list of competitors are eager to welcome Joshua back to the ring for the first time in more than a year.
But putting a possible matchup with Tyson Fury on the line, a tall Russian celebrity has challenged Joshua, saying he has already committed to fight the Olympian next year.
Arslanbek Makhmudov announces his decision to take on Anthony Joshua.
Arslanbek Makhmudov, a 6' 5in heavyweight prodigy, has entered the draw to face Joshua after being assigned to defeat British veteran Dave Allen in a main event this weekend in Sheffield.
Standing taller than his opponent from Doncaster before their matchup, Makhmudov and Allen are predicted to face another previous world champion in a huge matchup, whichever wins their crucial matchup.
But in yet another turn of events surrounding Joshua's comeback, Makhmudov has stated that he has already been approached about a fight with the Watford star, which he has consented to accept if he defeats Allen.
In an interview with Boxing News, Makhmudov mentioned a bout with Joshua, saying, "Yeah, we just spoke a little bit on Instagram." Simply being friendly, you know. He answered, "All right, next year," when I offered him the next fight. We can do it next year.
Makhmudov clarified, "I think the battle is exciting because it is a fantastic opportunity." Additionally, in sports, we had a little story in the amateurs. He lost to competitors in the European and World Championships; I defeated these two men. It is intriguing to me.
Anthony Joshua has been called up for Nigeria's fight with his former sparring partner.
Joshua also keeps getting connected to another couple with a name he knows from his background, even though he agreed to face Makhmudov—albeit by text.
Joshua was first linked to a fight in Ghana, but in recent days, a Nigerian event, including the former world champion, has been proposed to make a historic journey to Africa in early 2026.
After recovering from his crushing defeat to Joseph Parker, Congolese heavyweight sensation Martin Bakole, Joshua's old training partner, has also indicated interest in taking on his former sparring opponent.
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
