When Tyson Fury announced in May 2021 that he would fight Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia that August, the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles were all set to be on the line. Five years later, the Fury vs Joshua odds are for a fight in Cardiff on 11 December where neither man holds a world title. The delay has cost the fight its sporting stakes, but it has made it a bigger event.

How the 2021 fight fell apart

The day after Fury announced the Joshua fight, arbitrator Daniel Weinstein ruled that Fury was contractually obliged to give Deontay Wilder a third fight by 15 September. The Joshua fight was shelved. Fury fought Wilder, and Joshua’s team turned to Oleksandr Usyk, who was the WBO’s mandatory challenger.

Hurt: the belts have gone

Usyk took the titles from Joshua on a unanimous decision in London in September 2021. He beat him again on a split decision in Jeddah in August 2022.

Fury then lost a split decision to Usyk in May 2024, in the first fight for the undisputed heavyweight title since Lennox Lewis. In the rematch in December 2024, Usyk won on all three cards, 116-112.

Joshua’s worst night came in September 2024, when Daniel Dubois knocked him out in the fifth round at Wembley in front of 96,000 people.

It isn’t even clear whether a title will be at stake in Cardiff. Ring Magazine has said the fight will be for the WBA “super” title, while other reports say no belts are on the line.

Hurt: both men have aged

Fury announced his retirement in January 2025 after the second loss to Usyk. He was out of the ring for 16 months before beating Arslanbek Makhmudov on a unanimous decision at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April 2026, scored 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.

Joshua has shown signs of wear too. In July 2026 in Jeddah, Kristian Prenga knocked him down twice in the first round before Joshua stopped him in the second.

Helped: the event has grown

Commercially, the wait has added to the fight’s appeal. Tickets for the Principality Stadium sold out on 9 October. The BBC reported that the two fighters are expected to share a purse of close to $200 million. The fight will stream live on Netflix to all members at no extra cost.

Helped: both arrive in winning form

Both men come in having won their last two fights. Fury followed the Makhmudov win by stopping Mariusz Wach in the seventh round in Thailand in July and is now 36-2-1 with 25 knockouts. Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round in Miami in December 2025, then beat Prenga, and stands at 30-4 with 27 knockouts.

After beating Makhmudov, Fury called Joshua out from the ring while Joshua was watching at ringside, and the build-up to Cardiff began there.

The verdict

As a fight for the heavyweight crown, the wait has hurt. In 2021 the winner would have held four belts. In 2026 the question is which former champion has more left.

As an event, it has helped. Cardiff sold out, the purse is reported at close to $200 million, and the rivalry is still Britain’s biggest heavyweight fight. Fans who wanted the fight at its peak have missed out, but the night itself has not lost its appeal. For prices across the rest of the sport, see the latest boxing odds.