Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga: Can AJ Avoid a Major Upset in Jeddah?
Anthony Joshua returns to the ring on Saturday night as he faces Kristian Prenga in a heavyweight contest designed to keep his ambitions of a blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury alive.
The former two-time heavyweight world champion, 36, last competed in December when he stopped Jake Paul in devastating fashion with a sixth-round knockout in Miami.
Standing opposite Joshua in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will be Albania’s Kristian Prenga, a 35-year-old knockout artist who has built an impressive record but has yet to establish himself as a recognised contender at the highest level of the heavyweight division.
Joshua is hugely backed to have his hand raised as he continues his route towards a potential all-British clash with Fury. However, Prenga possesses genuine power and will be looking to produce on of the biggest shocks in recent heavyweight history.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Joshua vs Prenga.
When is Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga?
Anthony Joshua takes on Kristian Prenga on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The fight is expected to get underway at around 23:00 BST, although the exact timing will depend on the length of the undercard.
Joshua and Prenga are not expected to make their ring walks before 23:00 BST.
Joshua vs Prenga undercard
The bout will feature a number of world title fights, including Hamzah Sheeraz’s first defence of his WBO super-middleweight championship.
The British fighter faces Germany’s Simon Zachenhuber in the co-main event, while Josh Kelly also puts his IBF light-middleweight title on the line against Ireland’s Caoimhin Agyarko.
The full running order is:
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga – heavyweight
Hamzah Sheeraz (c) vs Simon Zachenhuber – WBO super-middleweight world title
Josh Kelly (c) vs Caoimhin Agyarko – IBF light-middleweight world title
Reito Tsutsumi vs Alvino Herrera – super-featherweight
Jacob Bank vs Pawel August – super-middleweight
How do Joshua and Prenga compare?
Joshua is only a few months older than Prenga, but the pair have taken very different routes through professional boxing.
After winning Olympic gold at London 2012, Joshua turned professional in 2013 and quickly rose through the heavyweight ranks.
He won each of his opening 16 professional fights inside the distance before defeating Charles Martin in 2016 to claim the IBF heavyweight title.
Joshua’s biggest victory came in 2017 when he stopped former champion Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round at Wembley Stadium to unify the heavyweight division and add the WBA title to his collection.
A year later, Joshua defeated Joseph Parker via unanimous decision to become WBO champion, completing a run that established him as one of the leading heavyweights in world boxing.
However, Joshua suffered his first professional debut against Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 after being stopped at Madison Square Garden. He responded by reclaiming his titles in the rematch later that year.
Back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 followed, but Joshua rebuilt with four consecutive victories to earn another opportunity at becoming a three-time world champion.
That opportunity ended in September 2024 when Daniel Dubois produced the biggest performance of his career to stop Joshua in the sixth round at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua returned in December 2025, defeating Jake Paul by knockout to take his record to 29 wins and four defeats, with 26 victories coming inside the distance via stoppage.
Prenga made his professional debut three years after Joshua and began his career with four straight knockout victories.
The Albanian suffered his only defeat in his fifth professional bout but has since gone on a 16-fight winning streak.
Although Prenga has not faced many recognised names during his career, he carries serious knockout power, having won all 20 of his victories by stoppage.
What is the latest on Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua?
A long-awaited fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury remains the target if both men can come through their respective warm-up bouts.
Fury came out of retirement earlier this year to defeat Arslanbek Makhmudov in April, with Joshua expected to be his next opponent.
However, Joshua had not fought since being involved in a fatal car crash in late December and wanted a return bout before facing Fury.
Fury has also agreed to a warm-up contest and takes on 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday.
If both fighters win, they are expected to meet later this year in a huge all-British heavyweight showdown.
A date and venue have not yet been confirmed, although Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has previously suggested the fight could take place in November and be broadcast on Netflix.
Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, who is helping organise the event, has said Wembley Stadium could host the fight if authorities approve staging the contest in the early hours of the morning to cater for a worldwide audience.
