Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has described Anthony Joshua as a “stepping stone” to a potential third fight with Oleksandr Usyk ahead of their long-awaited all-British showdown in Cardiff.
Fury and Joshua will meet at Principality Stadium on December 11, 2026, in their first professional fight against each other, with the bout set to be streamed live globally on Netflix.
Speaking on his Furocity YouTube channel, Fury predicted he would stop Joshua inside seven rounds and made it clear that his bigger objective remains another meeting with Usyk.
“I’m just going to knock him out, 100 per cent,” Fury said.
“I’m going to box the head off him and stop him inside six or seven rounds. I’m only using Joshua as a stepping stone, a warm-up to Usyk.”
Fury also took aim at Joshua’s physical condition, questioning his speed and stamina ahead of their heavyweight clash.
“Joshua, for me, is an old bum. A weightlifter. Too many weights, not enough speed. Too many weights, no cardio,” Fury said.
He added that he expected to “cut through him like a hot knife through butter.”
Fury’s comments underline his determination to use the Joshua fight as a route back towards Usyk, who handed him the only two defeats of his professional career.
The Ukrainian defeated Fury by split decision in their first meeting in Riyadh in May 2024 before winning their December rematch by unanimous decision.
Fury has repeatedly disputed the first two verdicts and said he wants a third meeting with Usyk in the United States.
“I want Usyk in America where I get a fair decision,” he said. “I won the first two fights and I’ll get a decision here where it’s fair.”
For now, however, Joshua stands between Fury and that proposed trilogy.
The December bout is the culmination of years of speculation and failed negotiations between the two British heavyweights. Despite sharing the heavyweight spotlight for much of the past decade, they have never previously met professionally.
Joshua also has history with Usyk, losing twice to the Ukrainian in 2021 and 2022.
The Cardiff encounter will therefore carry significance beyond the rivalry between the two British stars. Joshua will have the opportunity to claim a major victory over another former heavyweight champion, while Fury will be looking to make a statement after returning to the ring earlier this year.
Netflix has confirmed the fight as one of its major live boxing events, with the full undercard and other details still to be announced.
As preparations intensify, Fury’s prediction of a stoppage inside seven rounds adds another layer to an already highly anticipated fight, while his stated desire for a third Usyk encounter gives the December clash an additional storyline.
