Joshua Eyes UK Return Against Pulev

With negotiations continuing between himself and Kubrat Pulev, Anthony Joshua is almost certainly set to return to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2018.

Joshua is near a deal to defend his unified world heavyweight titles on home soil this Spring as he and IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev are near a deal for a fight this spring.

“It’s close and if it was proving difficult to make, we would go into purse bids now at this stage, or they would order it,” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports. “We spoke to the camps and they basically said we need another two weeks and we’ll have it finalized.”

“Almost certainly that will be AJ’s next fight and almost certainly in the UK,” Hearn continued.

“The main issue we have is Pulev wants to make as much money for that fight as he can. There isn’t as much money for that fight in the UK as there is elsewhere, but AJ has given me the instruction that I boxed in New York, I boxed in Saudi, I would like to do this one in the UK.

“Possible, but we’ve pretty much agreed terms now with Chisora and Usyk for that fight,” said Hearn of fighting WBO challenger Oleksandr Usyk next instead of Pulev. “It’s just a case of finalizing it, March 28, early April, but I’m very confident you’ll see that fight as well.”