Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are reportedly edging closer to the heavyweight showdown boxing fans have waited years to see — with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium lined up for a provisional December 11 date.
No official announcement has been made. Talks are still ongoing. But Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has indicated that a December date in the Welsh capital is the current plan, keeping the long-mooted “Battle of Britain” on UK soil.
For Belfast fight fans following every twist, the picture is clearer than it has been for months — even if tickets, broadcast details and ring-walk times remain unconfirmed.
December 11 in Cardiff — provisional, not locked
Reports point to Friday 11 December 2026 at Principality Stadium as the working target. Hearn has spoken about the date being effectively the focus of current planning, while stressing that stadium and council conversations still need to be boxed off.
That matters. Until an official launch lands, the date should be treated as provisional. Schedules in boxing shift. Venue licences, broadcaster windows and promoter paperwork all have to align before anything is set in stone.
What does look settled, for now, is the venue direction: Cardiff rather than a late switch back to a US arena.
Later start under discussion — but not a 3am UK ring walk
One reason the formal announcement has been delayed is the start time. A later-than-usual main-event slot is being discussed so the fight can reach a bigger US audience on the night.
Hearn has pushed back on the wilder social-media rumours. A 3am UK start, he has suggested, is unlikely. Conversations with the stadium and local authorities are about what a slightly later bill can realistically allow — not turning the Principality into an all-night shift for fans travelling from Belfast, Dublin or further afield.
Until that piece is agreed, expect the delay on the big reveal to continue.
UK venue was the priority
Location has been one of the toughest knots in a deal years in the making. A New York option was discussed earlier in the process. Joshua’s camp made clear a UK venue remained the priority under the terms they were working to.
That stance appears to have held. Cardiff has moved into pole position, with Principality Stadium’s roof making a winter date more workable than an open-air alternative.
For Joshua, a return to the Principality would also close a familiar circle. He stopped Carlos Takam there in 2017 and outpointed Joseph Parker in 2018 — nights that already wrote Cardiff into his UK stadium history.
Still to be confirmed
Even with Hearn pointing at December and Cardiff, plenty remains off the record:
- Official fight announcement and full undercard
- Confirmed date (11 December is the reported working target)
- Ticket on-sale details and pricing
- Broadcast / streaming partner confirmation for viewers in Northern Ireland
- Exact ring-walk and main-event start time
LoveBelfast will update once those details are officially confirmed. Until then, treat every date and start-time claim as reported progress — not a done deal.
For more on the city’s sporting calendar and where locals gather for big fight nights, see our Belfast sports guide and the latest from the Sport desk. Fury’s recent heavyweight path — including his Usyk title fight — shows how long this chapter has been building.
Chat about this and more Belfast news on r/LoveBelfast.
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