Anthony Joshua opponent record in next fight for AJ as boxing blockbuster with Tyson Fury looms

Kristian Prenga’s boxing hero is an English fighter who became heavyweight world champion decades before the Albanian’s opponent on Saturday, Anthony Joshua.

Lennox Lewis is Prenga’s chief inspiration and once spoke to him on FaceTime, according to the 10/1 long shot against the fighter known as AJ.

Should Prenga pull off a shock, he would catapult himself into contention to become one of Lewis and Joshua’s successors as celebrated titlists.

Here’s a look at Prenga’s boxing record, what he has said about the fight and the key details on his bout with Joshua.

Kristian Prenga record: Boxing knockout artist

A debutant in Munich in 2016, Prenga won his first four fights, all of which were held in Germany.

Prenga’s next contest was his only defeat, losing on points to Giovanni Auriemma in an eight-rounder in the Netherlands, where he spent two years sparring with kickboxers.

He then won five fights in Canada and one in Colombia before his current 10-bout victorious streak, with all of those taking place in the US.

Only two of Prenga’s fights have gone past the fourth round, knocking out his opponents in the first round on seven occasions, including each of his last three.

Kristian Prenga vs Anthony Joshua: What Prenga says

“I’ve worked all my life for this,” reflected the 35-year-old, who credits his father for his early boxing training, as well as instilling in him the “mentality” and “discipline” required to succeed in the sport.

“I’ve waited all my life for this and I hope I’m going to show the world [that].

“Every boxer has his weaknesses and faults in the ring, no matter who you are. I’ve seen everything.

“I respect Anthony Joshua very much; I grew up watching all his fights. I’ve seen his weaknesses and what he does best. I will show exactly what I’ve paid attention to.”

Prenga vs Joshua: Boxing fight ‘manifested’

Prenga’s trainer, Sammy Lushaj, revealed how he met his fighter almost six years ago.

“He walked into a gym where I was working out,” Lushaj told DAZN. “That’s how we actually met.

“I was wearing an Albanian jersey with the flag and he saw me. He walked away from everybody else and came and said hello.

“I was like ‘Whoa, it’s Kristian Prenga’. We kept in touch and we’ve been friends ever since.

“He’s like a little brother to me – I’ve been there with him for every fight, most of the training sessions and all of the camps.”

Lushaj says Prenga had a premonition he would face Joshua. “Over the last couple of years, we’d talk about fights and stuff and he’d be like ‘I’m going to fight AJ’,” he explained.

“I was like ‘alright’. He kept bringing it up, over and over. Then when he got that call, I was with him and we were coming to train.

“I was like ‘really?’ He just manifested it, I guess.”

Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga: ‘A real challenge’

Joshua has called Prenga “very dangerous” and “a very good fighter”.

“I believe it, I know it, I’ve studied it and I’m ready for it,” said the 36-year-old, who has a record of 29 wins and four defeats.

“We chose Kristian Prenga for a reason,” declared promoter Eddie Hearn. “He’s a real challenge.

“He’s got a country behind him and an opportunity to change his life. He gets to swim with the big boys and we get to find out if he needs armbands or not.

“If he doesn’t, it’s going to be a real fight. If he does, it’s going to be over very quickly.”

When is Kristian Prenga fighting Anthony Joshua? Fight date

The event will take place on Saturday, July 25 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga start time

The fight is expected to start at around 23:00 BST on Saturday. Here’s how that translates in different territories.

Where to watch Joshua vs Prenga: TV channel

The fight is exclusively live on DAZN pay-per-view. The broadcast starts at 18:00 BST (13:00 ET / 10:00 PT)

Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga live stream: Watch fight online

Fans can watch on a vast variety of devices and on the move by using DAZN’s dedicated app.

Joshua vs Prenga: How much does DAZN cost?

Followers can buy the fight as a one-off pay-per-view that will also include an eight-day free trial of DAZN to include Pierce O’Leary’s fight against Mark Chamberlain on August 1 for UK and US buyers.

US and Canada customers who purchase the one-off pay-per-view will be able to watch Lamont Roach Jr’s bout with William Zepeda on August 1.

Alternatively, viewers can buy DAZN’s Ultimate Tier subscription package, which includes a minimum of 12 pay-per-view fights a year including Joshua vs. Prenga, as well as 185 regular fight nights.

Here’s how much each package costs.

Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga undercard: Full list of fights

There are five undercard fights:

• Hamzah Sheeraz vs Simon Zachenhuber
• Josh Kelly vs Caoimhin Agyarko
• Reito Tsutsumi vs Alvino Herrera
• Jacob Bank vs Pawel August
• Nishant Dev vs Cesar Diaz

Here are the approximate times when each bout is scheduled to start in different territories.

Anthony Joshua next fight: Tyson Fury awaits

Joshua dismissed questions about fellow former world champion Fury but is expected to meet the Mancunian later this year if both fighters win this week.

Fury, 37, faces 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday, with reports suggesting the fighter known as ‘The Gypsy King’ will then travel to Jeddah to watch Joshua.

“We don’t want to talk about Tyson Fury,” Joshua said, emphasising his need for “focus” on knockout artist Prenga, an Albanian who is yet to encounter a fighter of Joshua’s pedigree.

“Respectfully, I’ve done all the media I can about what the future holds. Let’s focus on the job.”

Image: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing