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Tyson Fury Says Anthony Joshua Fight Will Take Place Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia

The proposed fight in Saudi Arabia will have a reported $155 million site fee, but promoter Bob Arum said the contracts still need to be finalized.

Andrew Gastelum

Tyson Fury Says Anthony Joshua Fight Will Take Place Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia
Tyson Fury Says Anthony Joshua Fight Will Take Place Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia /

Tyson Fury announced on Twitter that he will fight WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua on Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia to determine the undisputed world heavyweight champion.

The 32-year-old WBC heavyweight champion said that he has received assurances regarding the fight from Prince Khalid Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi defense secretary, saying "this fight is 100% on."

"All eyes on the world will be on the kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Fury said in a Twitter video. And I cannot wait, repeat, cannot wait, to smash Anthony Joshua on the biggest stage of all time. This is going to be the biggest sporting event ever to grace the planet Earth."

However, the boxer's American promoter, Bob Arum, said the fight has yet to be confirmed as the two sides wait on the final contracts, a major development considering Arum told The Telegraph that the fight was "dead in the water" less than three weeks ago. 

"We still haven't gotten the final contracts. ...We're supposed to get a clean draft on Monday," Arum told ESPN. "But Prince Khalid has assured Tyson that there will be no problems, and everybody who has dealt with Prince Khalid and his team know them to be men of their word."

According to ESPN, the site fee will be $155 million, including $75 million for each fighter. 

On Monday, American judge Daniel Weinstein ruled in mediation that Deontay Wilder has a right to face Fury for a third time before 15 September. The ruling also puts further doubt on the timing of a Fury-Joshua fight. Arum told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix that the arbitrators' ruling was a "preposterous decision" and that the plan is to move ahead with Fury-Joshua in August and try to sell Wilder on facing the winner in November or December.

Fury and Joshua signed a two-fight deal in March to unify their heavyweight titles. Lennox Lewis is the last undisputed heavyweight champion, dating back to 1999-2000.

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Andrew Gastelum
ANDREW GASTELUM

Andrew Gastelum is a programming editor and writer at Sports Illustrated who specializes in soccer, the Olympics and international sports. He joined the SI staff in March 2021 and previously contributed to Howler Magazine and NBC Sports. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame alum and is currently based in Italy.

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