Cardiff wins bid to host Fury-Joshua fight on December 11

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will face off on Friday, 11 December, at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, BBC Sport reports. The Welsh capital has been named the frontrunner, with an official confirmation expected later this week, as organisers, Netflix and the fighters’ camps iron out the remaining details.

The fight had almost gone to New York. Joshua’s contract, signed with Saudi Arabian promoter Sela, contains a clause that the bout must be held in the United Kingdom. Fury’s deal contains no such restriction. When Netflix and Sela pushed to move the event to Madison Square Garden, the UK clause became the sticking point. Promoter Eddie Hearn said that most parties preferred New York and even considered compensating for the clause, but Joshua’s camp refused to waive it. Fury briefly threatened to stall and floated a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk, but after relenting, the parties had to secure a suitable British venue.

Cardiff emerged as the logical choice once the weather risk of an open‑air stadium in December was considered. Wembley offers prestige but would expose tens of thousands of fans and a massive broadcast crew to freezing temperatures, wind and rain. Moving indoors to the O2 would eliminate weather concerns but would cut the gate revenue by tens of thousands of seats. The Principality Stadium’s retractable roof combines the scale of a stadium show with full protection from the elements. Its official seated capacity is just under 74,000, but boxing configurations can accommodate even more, ensuring a large audience while keeping the event safe and comfortable.

An official announcement is due soon, and the decision will mark one of the biggest moments in British boxing in the 21st century. A win for Cardiff will cement Wales’ status as a premier sporting venue, while the fight itself will be a headline event for Netflix and Sela, drawing global attention to the heavyweight division. The outcome will also set a precedent for how contractual clauses and weather considerations shape future major boxing events in the UK.