Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: The long-awaited all-British heavyweight blockbuster has hit another unexpected roadblock, with Tyson Fury claiming his December fight against Anthony Joshua could be in jeopardy because of a dispute involving their rival promoters.
Fury and Joshua were finally confirmed to meet on 11 December 2026 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with the fight set to stream live globally on Netflix. The announcement ended years of failed negotiations between the two former heavyweight champions. However, less than two days after the official confirmation, Fury has raised fresh doubts over whether the fight will actually go ahead as planned.
The latest dispute centres on Dana White’s involvement in the promotion of the fight. Netflix’s official announcement says The Ring and White will collaborate to promote the event. That has not gone down well with Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, who has publicly objected to White’s involvement.
Fury has now accused Joshua and Hearn of trying to pull out of the fight.
Why is Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua in doubt?
The problem is not believed to be a disagreement between Fury and Joshua over the fight itself. Instead, the latest issue involves the promotional arrangements surrounding the event.
Fury claimed on social media that Joshua and Hearn were attempting to withdraw from the contest, blaming Hearn’s objections to working with White.
Hearn, meanwhile, has insisted that Dana White cannot be involved in promoting the fight, despite Netflix’s announcement naming White alongside The Ring.
Speaking to IFL TV, Hearn said the situation needed to be addressed because of existing contractual arrangements. He also indicated that the disagreement was linked to his wider dispute with White following the launch of Zuffa Boxing.
That leaves an unusual situation: the fight itself has officially been announced, the venue has been confirmed and Netflix has promoted the event, but a dispute between people involved in the promotion has now created uncertainty around the blockbuster.
Netflix has already confirmed the fight
For now, the official position remains that Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua will take place on Friday, 11 December at Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Netflix has listed the fight as an official live sports event and says the bout will be available globally to subscribers at no additional cost. The streaming giant has also confirmed that Fury and Joshua have never previously fought professionally.
The two fighters bring impressive records into the contest. Netflix lists Fury at 36-2-1 with 25 knockouts, while Joshua enters with a record of 30-4 with 27 knockouts.
Both men have also already appeared in major Netflix boxing events.
Joshua fought Jake Paul in December 2025, while Fury returned to the ring against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April 2026. Their December meeting would therefore become another major boxing event for the streaming platform.
A fight years in the making
The latest dispute is particularly frustrating for boxing fans because Fury vs Joshua has already survived several failed negotiations.
The two British heavyweights have been linked with each other for years. Their camps agreed the basis of a two-fight deal in 2020, but the proposed matchup did not happen.
In 2021, the fighters were moving towards an undisputed heavyweight contest when Deontay Wilder’s successful arbitration case forced Fury into a third fight with the American.
Another serious attempt came in 2022. Joshua accepted a reported 60-40 split to fight Fury, but negotiations again collapsed.
The latest agreement finally appeared to end that cycle.
After years of waiting, Fury and Joshua signed contracts earlier this year, with Cardiff eventually selected as the venue. Netflix then officially announced the contest on 24 September.
Now, the promotional disagreement has created another twist.
Dana White becomes the latest flashpoint
White’s involvement is significant because the UFC president has increasingly expanded his presence in boxing.
Netflix’s announcement states that The Ring and Dana White will collaborate to promote Fury vs Joshua. White also described the matchup as a heavyweight showdown boxing fans had been waiting for for more than a decade.
But Hearn has been involved in a public dispute with White following the launch of Zuffa Boxing.
That history has now spilled into the Fury-Joshua promotion.
Hearn’s position is that White’s involvement conflicts with contractual arrangements. Fury, however, has publicly placed the blame on Hearn for creating uncertainty around the event.
At this stage, there has been no official announcement cancelling the fight. Netflix continues to list the event for 11 December, while the promotional dispute remains unresolved publicly.
What happens next?
The immediate focus will be on whether the promotional disagreement can be resolved without affecting the fighters’ contracts or the event itself.
Netflix has already announced a 30 September press conference in London featuring Fury and Joshua, giving both camps an opportunity to build momentum towards the fight.
That press conference could become an important moment because the fight has now moved from years of speculation into its formal promotional stage.
For fans, the key point is simple: Fury vs Joshua is officially scheduled, but Fury’s latest comments have introduced fresh uncertainty.
Unless there is a formal change from the organisers, the fight remains scheduled for 11 December at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
The heavyweight rivalry has taken years to reach this point, and boxing has already seen several versions of the matchup collapse before fight night. This latest dispute is therefore likely to attract plenty of attention until the promoters reach an agreement.
For now, fans will have to wait for the next official update from the fighters, promoters or Netflix.
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