Alalshikh was in London for the “Unfinished Business” event as Conor Benn defeated Chris Eubank Jr. in their rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And during the broadcast, Alalshikh told DAZN’s Jamie Ward that he plans to host AJ’s first 2026 outing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before a matchup back in London in late-summer.
“Next year, we have two big events here in London, which will be a surprise,” said Alalshikh.
“We will have Joshua in our country in February. There is the big fight, one of the greatest fights in the history of boxing, in London, maybe in September. We will have a surprise for the fans.”
Turki Alalshikh has HUGE plans for 2026 🗣️🔮
The Ring: Unfinished Business | Buy now at https://t.co/AxmwuHu4GB l #EubankBenn2 pic.twitter.com/0V7n43Pjjc
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) November 15, 2025
That “big fight” likely refers to the long-awaited battle between British former heavyweight world champions Joshua and Tyson Fury, with a meeting next year thought by many to be the last chance to make a fight between the pair after they spent their careers coming close to fighting without ever quite making it as far as the ring.
Before Alalshikh’s plans get underway, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn hopes to be able to give Joshua a run-out against lower-ranked opposition to allow the former heavyweight champ to blow off the cobwebs and hit the ground running next year.
That bout was originally thought to take place against a relatively unknown fighter in an eight-round shakeout. But after Jake Paul’s bout with Gervonta Davis was scrapped following further allegations levelled at Davis, Paul has been strongly linked with a bout with Joshua instead.
But speaking during fight week in London, Hearn admitted that he wasn’t 100 percent sure whether Paul’s camp were legitimate in their interest, or whether Joshua’s name was being used for “clout” or leverage to secure a different opponent.
News on that front will likely follow in the coming week, with time running out to get something booked before the end of the year.
