Sports
Anthony Joshua Survives Early Knockdowns to Stop Kristian Prenga in Round Two & Set Up Tyson Fury Showdown
Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns to knock out Kristian Prenga in round two at the Jeddah Superdome, Saudi Arabia on 25 July 2026. The victory improves Joshua’s record to 30–4 and sets up a November heavyweight showdown against Tyson Fury.
Anthony Joshua celebrates his 30th professional victory inside the ring at the Jeddah Superdome after recovering from two first-round knockdowns. Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing/Instagram
Nobody said it was going to be easy. But this is Anthony Joshua, and if there is one thing the former two-time heavyweight world champion has shown throughout his career, it is that he finds a way.
On Saturday, 25 July, at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, Joshua survived one of the most dramatic opening rounds of his career, climbed off the canvas twice, and stopped Kristian Prenga with a brutal second-round knockout to announce his return to the ring in the most emphatic way possible.
The fight marked Joshua’s return for the first time since a horrific car crash in Nigeria last December, during which he lost two of his closest friends, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz“ Ayodele, and sustained injuries that left his future in the sport uncertain. Their names were printed on the ring canvas in Jeddah, a tribute that set the emotional context for everything that followed.
Anthony Joshua stands face-to-face with opponent Kristian Prenga during pre-fight media proceedings ahead of their heavyweight clash in Saudi Arabia. Photo Credit: Anthony Joshua/Instagram
The opening round was unlike anything Joshua’s supporters would have wanted to see. Prenga, who entered the fight with a 20–1 record and 20 knockouts, caught Joshua with a right hand and a right uppercut inside the first 30 seconds, sending the former champion to the canvas. Joshua beat the count but looked shaken, and before the round was out, Prenga sent him down a second time, forcing the referee to give Joshua a second standing count. At ringside, promoter Eddie Hearn was already questioning whether the comeback had come too soon.
Round two told a completely different story. Joshua came out composed, setting up his jab and finding his range before landing two huge right hands that dropped Prenga, who slumped against the ropes and never recovered. The fight was waved off at 2 minutes and 43 seconds into the second round.
Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua celebrates his dramatic comeback win against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia following his return to boxing. Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing/Instagram
After the fight, an emotional Joshua spoke about what the victory meant:
It’s more than punch power. That was spirit. That was Latz and Sina. That was the family. You know what I mean? That hurts even talking about it. He gave me a good test, but this is what champions do: we rise. We get knocked down and stand up. That is life; that is life’s motto.
The win improved Joshua’s record to 30–4 (27 KOs) and sets up the long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury, who stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand the previous day. A November date is being targeted for the mega-fight, though a venue has yet to be finalised.
Joshua made his intentions very clear: “I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat,” he said of Fury.
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