Anthony Joshua Accepted Massive Pay Cut to Secure Tyson Fury Fight in UK

The long-awaited clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is officially set for December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. This decision delighted British boxing fans who feared the fight might take place at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Despite the prestige of a win over The Gypsy King, Joshua agreed to a significant pay reduction to ensure the fight stayed in the UK, his homeland alongside Fury. Reports reveal that moving the bout from the US meant Joshua gave up millions in potential earnings.

A Long Road to the Superfight

The story of this matchup has been complicated. When Joshua claimed the WBA and IBF titles by defeating Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017, Fury was sidelined due to personal struggles. An initial deal was struck for a fight at the end of 2020 after Fury won the WBC belt and Joshua reclaimed his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr., but legal battles involving Deontay Wilder delayed it.

Joshua then suffered defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, losing all his belts, while Fury endured a controversial win over Francis Ngannou and back-to-back losses to Usyk himself. Joshua also faced a knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois during this period.

With no titles at stake and both fighters' reputations diminished, the excitement around the fight waned. Still, following Fury’s victory over Mariusz Wach and Joshua's knockout of Kristian Prenga, the fight date and UK venue were confirmed.

Joshua's Financial Sacrifice

Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, revealed that AJ sacrificed a £10 million ($13 million) payday to keep the fight in the UK. Hearn explained:

"People started saying, ‘please bring the fight to the UK,’ and AJ started feeling that. To keep it in the UK, he's got to turn down eight figures plus. AJ goes to me, ‘whatever you think,’ and I'm like, ‘no, no, no, it's your money. I can't make that decision for you.’ He asks, ‘what [do you] think I should do?’ and I told him I think the UK is where the fight should be because there's an edge for him to have this fight in the UK, but it's a lot of money. And he went, ‘f*** it, we'll do it in the UK.’"

In addition, Turki Alalshikh noted at a press conference that shifting the event from New York to Cardiff resulted in an estimated £53 million ($70 million) loss overall.

UK Fans Face Late Start Time

While the fight remains on British soil, fans may face a late start as organizers try to schedule the bout after midnight UK time to accommodate American viewers. Even so, this timing is still preferable to an early morning start that would occur if the fight took place in the US.

Upcoming Boxing Match Details

• Date: December 11, 2026
• Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK
• Fighters: Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua