The former world heavyweight champion will take on experienced Polish boxer Mariusz Wach on Friday, July 24, at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand. The fight comes just a day before Anthony Joshua is scheduled to face Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in his own preparatory contest.
Provided both British stars emerge victorious, boxing fans are expected to finally witness one of the sport's most anticipated matchups when Fury and Joshua meet later in 2026. The long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown was put on course after both camps reached an agreement earlier this year.
While Joshua's opponent, Prenga, remains relatively unknown on the global stage, Wach brings significantly more experience. The 46-year-old famously challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the world heavyweight title in 2012, lasting the full 12 rounds before losing by unanimous decision in what was the first defeat of his professional career.
However, much has changed since then. Wach entered that title fight with a perfect 27-0 record but now holds a professional record of 39 wins and 13 defeats after several setbacks over the past decade.
Among those losses were unanimous decision defeats to Dillian Whyte in 2019 and Hughie Fury in 2020, before he was outpointed by Frazer Clarke in 2023. More recently, the veteran suffered a second-round knockout defeat to rising British heavyweight Moses Itauma in July 2024, a performance that many observers may use as a benchmark when assessing Fury's display against the Polish fighter.
Fury has spent the past few months training in Thailand, making Pattaya a fitting location for the contest. Following the bout, the 37-year-old is expected to travel directly to Saudi Arabia to watch Joshua's fight from ringside before attention fully shifts to the long-awaited "Battle of Britain."
The contest against Wach will be Fury's second fight since returning from a 16-month retirement. He made his comeback in April with a points victory over Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marking his first fight on British soil in more than three years.
Speaking about the upcoming event, Fury expressed his excitement about fighting in Thailand and revealed that proceeds from the event will support charitable causes.
“This is a landmark year for me in boxing and I’m excited to be able to bring this event to Pattaya, a part of the world that is special to me,” said Fury, referencing his training in Thailand.
“We’re coming together to put on a great show for the fans, while using the opportunity to give back to the local community, who have been so good to me every time I have visited,” he continued, referencing the fact that the money generated will go to charity.
“At the same time, I’m fully focused on preparing for a tough opponent and making sure I’m the best version of Tyson Fury going into fight night. It’s the start of a huge second half of the year for me.”