Former heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua has revealed that his upcoming heavyweight bout against Kristian Prenga on July 25, 2026, is not merely a preparatory or warm-up match.
Even though he is the clear favourite against the powerful Albanian, Joshua has emphasized that he is training with fierce intent to demonstrate that he still possesses the capability to be a formidable force in the ring.
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Prenga enters the fight at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia boasting an impressive 20-1 record, with all his wins coming by knockout, and has openly expressed his ambition to thwart Joshua’s anticipated mega-fight with Tyson Fury.
Nonetheless, Joshua is intent on achieving a decisive victory.
“I don’t regard it as a tune-up fight, nor do I view it as the greatest challenge of my career. It’s just a fight,” he shared with Combat Evolved.
“You’ve got to have confidence in yourself. I’m putting in the effort; you have to express how you feel. I aim to win, I want to accomplish what I’m meant to do.
“It’s nothing personal towards Prenga; it could be anyone. This isn’t a warm-up bout; it’s a contest against someone I genuinely want to defeat, and I want to do it impressively as well.
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“I’m looking to go in there and display my abilities. This training camp is focused on honing my skills, and I want to demonstrate just how good I am.
“Only God knows. I’m just striving for a victory, but I can’t predict how that victory will come. He was a kickboxer, not from MMA, but he has a mixed martial arts background. He has combined various disciplines, kicking and punching, so we’ll see how that plays out.”
