Anthony Joshua next fight: Hearn says AJ wants Dubois revenge after Fury

Anthony Joshua next fight plans are already taking shape, even with Tyson Fury still to come. Eddie Hearn says Joshua wants revenge on Daniel Dubois if he gets through Cardiff on 11 December. Speaking on BetOnline’s Politely Raw show, the Matchroom boss admitted it would be a dangerous fight. But he made clear that his fighter is driven by the one defeat he has never had the chance to put right.

Anthony Joshua next fight: what Eddie Hearn said

Hearn was asked what comes after Fury for the former two-time world champion. His answer, as reported by talkSPORT and BJPenn.com, was honest and direct. “I can’t speak on Tyson’s behalf, but for [Joshua], he still wants to be in the biggest fights of the sport,” Hearn said.

“I’ve got to be honest with you, and I know it’s a very dangerous fight, but he wants to rematch Daniel Dubois. [Joshua] is a competitor, so he’s looking at that, and anyone who has ever beaten him, he’s rematched, apart from Daniel Dubois.”

Hearn went on: “He wants to have another go at Daniel Dubois, and this is second nature to him. He wants to avenge that defeat. It’s a dangerous fight, but if he goes through Tyson Fury and stops Tyson Fury, then why not? That would be for a title unification, or for a fight against [Filip] Hrgovic.”

Why the Dubois defeat still matters

That night at Wembley in September 2024 was one of the hardest of Joshua’s career. Dubois knocked him down four times before stopping him in the fifth round, in front of a huge home crowd. An immediate rematch was looked at, according to talkSPORT, but a proposed February date was too soon for Joshua, who was nursing an elbow injury.

Hearn’s point about rematches is backed up by Joshua’s record. He lost to Andy Ruiz Jr and went straight back in to win the return. He also faced Oleksandr Usyk twice after losing his belts to the Ukrainian. Dubois is the only man to beat him who has not had to face him again.

Anthony Joshua next fight options	What Hearn said
Daniel Dubois rematch	“He wants to rematch Daniel Dubois”
Title unification	Possible “if he goes through Tyson Fury and stops Tyson Fury”
Filip Hrgovic	Named as the other option
Before any of that	Tyson Fury, Principality Stadium, 11 December 2026

How the title picture could look

talkSPORT reports that the WBA is expected to sanction Fury vs Joshua for its ‘super’ world heavyweight title. If that happens, a Joshua win would make a fight with WBO champion Dubois a unification. Dubois has beaten Fabio Wardley in back-to-back fights and, says talkSPORT, is expected to return in February. That means any fight with the Cardiff winner would most likely wait until the second half of 2027. You can read more on that picture in our piece on Dubois, Wardley and a 2027 unification.

Dubois himself is not fussed about names. “Any of them really,” he told talkSPORT. “Filip Hrgovic, Agit Kabayel, all of the guys with the titles. I can’t go backwards; I have to keep going forward to bigger and better fights. We are happy to wait, but in the meantime, just give me a name, and I’ll get ready for it.”

Fury comes first in Cardiff

None of this happens unless Joshua beats Fury. Hearn also hinted that a close fight could lead to a rematch between the two Britons instead. Fury’s camp is just as confident, with Frank Warren saying this week that Fury wishes the fight was tomorrow.

For everything on the card, follow our Fury vs Joshua fight page and the Anthony Joshua hub. One thing is clear from Hearn’s words: Joshua is not thinking about winding down.