Nigerian-British boxing star Anthony Joshua may finally realise his long-held dream of fighting on African soil, with early 2026 being targeted for the historic bout.
Promoter Ezekiel Adamu revealed in an interview with The Ring that advanced talks are underway to bring the two-time world heavyweight champion to Nigeria for a major fight.
“I spoke with him, I spoke with his team, and they already said to me, ‘If we had an offer from Nigeria, it’s a match made in heaven,’” Adamu said.
According to Adamu, Joshua has always expressed a desire to fight in Nigeria, his ancestral homeland, before the end of his illustrious career.
“Joshua has always said that before he ends his career, he wants to fight in Nigeria, and we are going to make that fight happen,” he affirmed.
Plans are reportedly in motion to host the event at the 50,000-capacity Abuja National Stadium. The promoter added that the bout would likely be an all-African showdown, aiming to showcase the continent’s rising prominence in world boxing.
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“For that, it would definitely be two Africans,” Adamu explained. “So we are thinking Joshua might be against Tony Yoka. There is Martin Bakole, and Deontay Wilder, also of Nigerian descent, wants to do an African fight, too. There are different names.”
Should the event go ahead, it would mark a significant moment in African boxing history, evoking memories of the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1974.
Joshua, who was born in the UK to Nigerian parents, has held both the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles, and remains one of boxing’s biggest global stars.
Fans across the continent, particularly in Nigeria, will no doubt be eagerly awaiting official confirmation of what could be a landmark sporting event in Africa.
