Anthony Joshua insists Tyson Fury fight must stay in the UK

The proposed 20 November fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury remains tied to a dispute over its location, with Joshua now insisting that the heavyweight meeting must take place in the UK. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, says Joshua has rejected changes to the agreement originally signed for the bout.

The contest had reportedly reached agreement on its main terms before the venue became a major obstacle. Joshua’s position is that the contract requires the fight to be staged in Britain, while Fury has shown greater willingness to consider an overseas venue.

New York’s Madison Square Garden had emerged as one possible destination. Netflix, which is due to broadcast the event, favours the United States because it sees greater commercial value there. Hearn says he and Joshua were prepared to consider that option, but only if the additional conditions attached to the agreement were acceptable.

Those changes have not been accepted by Joshua’s side. Hearn says the negotiations had been moving towards a US event before Joshua decided that the original terms should be enforced instead. The promoter also believes Fury’s public discussion of possible alternatives contributed to Joshua’s decision.

Fury has mentioned Agit Kabayel and Daniel Dubois as potential opponents, adding to the uncertainty around the proposed all-British fight. Hearn interprets those comments, along with Fury’s social media activity, as evidence that the former heavyweight champion may be trying to avoid the meeting.

The event is also being funded by Turki Alalshikh and Sela alongside Netflix. For now, Joshua’s position is that any agreement must be honoured as signed, leaving the UK as his required venue and the fight’s staging unresolved.