Tyson Fury is ready to put his highly anticipated clash with Anthony Joshua at risk by facing an undefeated opponent in the meantime.

Ahead of what many still consider the biggest fight in boxing, Joshua signed up for the warm-up and it was confirmed that he would face Albanian Kristian Prenga 20-1 (20 KO) on July 25 in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Fury had initially hoped to meet ‘AJ’ in the summer, not allowing his rival the luxury of an earlier competition. However, after the fight was postponed, “The Gypsy King” confirmed that he would have his own outing, setting a three-fight schedule for 2026.

While an opponent has not yet been officially announced, Boxing News understands that Fury will likely face another Albanian heavyweight in Nelson Hysa. The 41-year-old set a record of 24 fights without defeat, including 22 victories at the distance.

Hysa – considered a leading option, although a contract has not yet been signed – is both a regular sparring partner and promotional companion for Fury’s stable, having signed with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions last year. The Shkodër-born heavyweight is also considered a major ticket seller in London.

“The Gypsy King” previously announced that it would return on August 1 in Dublin, likely for the Pierce O’Leary vs. Mark Chamberlain fight if that is the date, but could also appear later in the month.

Katie Taylor’s farewell fight has been confirmed for Friday at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday, September 5, when she will face France’s Flora Pili in a bid to become a three-time undisputed champion in the final fight of her career. Matchroom Boxing announced the event at its opening press conference at the stadium, from which it released footage BBC Sport. The card will be shown globally on DAZN.

Taylor (25-1, 6 KO), 39, will defend the WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine super lightweight titles and will face Pili (12-0, 2 KO) for the vacant WBC belt. The victory will restore her undisputed 140-pound status for the third time.

“We’ve done it, we’ve actually brought boxing back to Croke Park,” Taylor told the venue. “It’s been on my career wish list, especially over the last few months, but it’s exceeded my wildest expectations. We’re actually here, we’ve made it happen.”

“A few years ago it was a really impossible dream, but here we are. I have goosebumps. I really can’t believe that I’m in this situation now,” she added. “It will be the most iconic moment of my entire career. I have the chance to fight in a packed stadium in Croke Park, our most iconic venue. It truly is a cathedral of Irish sport.”

Four years of chasing

Taylor first hinted at a headliner in Croke Park following her opening win over Amanda Serrano in April 2022, but talks between Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and the stadium’s operators have repeatedly stalled in the following years. Hearn said an agreement was almost never reached.

“Three months ago, four months ago, we were sitting in a restaurant and Katie told me she’s had enough, it’s over for her career,” Hearn said. “It was about a month later when she called [manager] Brian Peters and said, “I can’t go, I can’t go until it happens. Please make it happen.”

“Every time the going got tough, every time the door closed, every time there were barriers, we thought of Katie Taylor. What would she do? Well, she would never be denied,” Hearn continued. “I’m not often at a loss for words, but this thing exceeds our wildest expectations. It will be the greatest night in the history of women’s boxing. The largest audience in the history of women’s sports for an individual athlete.”

Why They Drank

Pili was confirmed as her opponent after the WBC named her a top contender earlier this week. Taylor said she wanted a real test before saying goodbye.

“I didn’t want to end my career with someone I could move on from,” Taylor said. “After the last fight I wasn’t sure if I would fight again. The only thing that gave me that passion again was Croke Park and I also wanted it to be a real fight with real risk that would give me the motivation and hunger to fight again and I have that in Flora. It’s a real fight, a very hazardous fight and I have to give everything I can.”

“But I imagine this walk around the ring when I step into the ring for the last time,” she said. “I think this will be the last time I hear that ‘ole, ole, ole’ around Croke Park. It’s going to be very, very special and I want to put on a performance worthy of everyone’s support over the last few years.”

Pili is 28 years venerable and comes from Moselle in northeastern France. She turned professional in 2019, won the French champion title in 2022, the European champion title in 2023, and won the IBO belt in December by defeating Jelena Janicijevic. She is the mandatory challenger for Taylor’s IBF title and the main challenger for the WBC title, which became vacant when Sandy Ryan relinquished the belt before the birth of her first child.

Tour, tickets and broadcast

Manager Brian Peters, who has managed Taylor throughout her professional career, described the evening as the conclusion of a long cycle. “It’s a fitting final chapter to one of sports’ greatest fables,” Peters said. “She has reigned as world champion for 20 years and it has been the most extraordinary journey. She has seen and experienced it all, but regaining the Undisputed title in Croke Park will truly surpass anything that has come before.”

Taylor will begin a four-day promotional tour of Ireland on Saturday, starting in her hometown of Bray before stopping in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Belfast. Tickets will go on sale to the general public via Ticketmaster on Friday, June 12, priced from €38.70, with family packages priced at €125.50 in the non-alcoholic section of the stadium. Matchroom Fight Pass pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, June 10.

The event will be the first boxing event to be held at Croke Park, the 82,300-capacity home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, since Muhammad Ali defeated Al “Blue” Lewis in 1972.

Matchroom chairman says Dana White’s rise has not yet done enough to justify praise following his first UK event

Eddie Hearn has objected to the praise surrounding the first Zuffa Boxing event in Bournemouth, UK. The Matchroom chairman questioned the reaction to Dana White’s promotion and argued that one successful night was not enough to gauge his long-term impact on boxing.

While many fans hailed Chris Billam-Smith’s stoppage victory over Ryan Rozicki and Cheavon Clarke’s victory over Jack Massey as the highlight fights of the night, Hearn suggested that the overall card did not justify some of the hype surrounding Zuffa Boxing’s arrival in the UK.

“I heard Chev Clarke won. Billam-Smith, that guy [Rozicki] he retired to the stool. Was it a decent fight?” Hearn told iFL TV. “Ben Shalom’s performances are the next level for Zuffa.

“In boxing, they don’t know what they’re talking about. They have absolutely no idea about the sport, but they are powerful and they go out of their way,” Hearn said.

Hearn responded after being told about White’s comments during the post-fight press conference. The Matchroom chairman questioned whether one successful evening would be enough to validate claims about Zuffa Boxing’s future in the sport.

The Bournemouth card produced two widely praised fights featuring Billam-Smith-Rozicki and Clarke-Massey, but also featured several quick stoppages and one-sided fights that left some fans divided on the overall quality of the event.

“We are all looking forward to the assessment of our work in a few months, because guess what? July will be here soon.

“Wait until you see a body of work stretching throughout the year.

“It’s just lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies. That’s all,” Hearn said.

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most critical fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.

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Last update: 2026/06/07 at 3:02