An all‑British heavyweight showdown in the United Kingdom is moving closer to reality, with promoter Eddie Hearn revealing plans are advancing for Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to finally meet on home soil.
Hearn said he is "hopeful" that Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh will choose the UK as the venue for the long‑awaited clash, which is being targeted for November and billed as the biggest fight in the nation's history.
While no contract has yet been signed, Hearn confirmed that negotiations are in their final stages.
The bout would follow a July comeback fight for Joshua, setting up what Hearn described as "not the fight of the century, the fight of all‑time" for British fans.
Fury and Joshua fuelled anticipation earlier this month when they traded barbs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, reigniting excitement for a matchup that has collapsed multiple times in the past.
Hearn said the remaining contractual details are close to being resolved, after which staging decisions will fall to Alalshikh.
"We will have a contract and we haven't signed a contract yet, but we are negotiating the final points in an agreement to come back to the ring in July and (then) fight Tyson Fury," Hearn told iFL TV.
"Once we sign up for that agreement, it is over to (Turki) for the staging. We (Matchroom) will be promoting for July. I would think that the November fight or whatever it will be, will be promoted by Sela.
"Myself and AJ, Tyson Fury, we'll have a contract where (Alalshikh) is basically funding the fight. It's up to him where it is.
"Now, he also wants to make history. He is not going to put it in some random place. He wants this to deliver for the fans what it is - which is the biggest fight in the history of our country. I am hopeful that the fight takes place in the UK."
The push for a UK showdown comes after Fury and Joshua traded words at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11, reigniting speculation around a domestic clash that has repeatedly fallen through in the past.
Hearn added that Joshua's July bout is still being finalised, adding: "The good news is if we take a (warm-up) fight like this, we have signed to fight Tyson Fury and all you've got to do is bite your fingernails in July for 36 minutes or less and you've got not the fight of the century, the fight of all-time."
Fury had previously warned Joshua not to delay with a warm‑up fight - despite taking one himself against Arslanbek Makhmudov - but Hearn said the decision was influenced by the undisputed champion.
"I am sure they won't mind me saying it, a lot of this has come from Oleksandr Usyk. He was part of these conversations and the conversations were absolutely he is having a comeback fight," Hearn said.
While we may be a step closer to the fight fans have waited more than a decade for, Hearn's update raises an important question: where will it take place?
For a fight of this magnitude - with huge demand to witness it in person and enormous revenue potential - only the largest stadiums are realistic options.
Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have proven track records of hosting major boxing events, but with a November date earmarked, neither venue has a retractable roof, something likely needed to protect both fans and fighters from the elements.
Spurs, of course, staged Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr's rematch in November 2025, when supporters braved temperatures barely in double digits.
The stadium has quickly become one of the world's premier large‑scale boxing venues, but the unpredictable and unforgiving British winter makes it sensible for promoters to consider alternatives.
If Hearn is to get his wish of keeping the fight in the UK, Cardiff's Principality Stadium - complete with its fully retractable roof and a history of hosting Joshua's world‑title defences against Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker in 2017 and 2018 - stands out as the obvious choice.
Beyond that, options to keep the mega‑fight on British soil appear limited. And unless every requirement can be met, there remains a real possibility the bout could head abroad, with Saudi Arabia and the United States both in contention.
