Anthony Joshua’s Move to Dubai: What It Means for His Boxing Future

Anthony Joshua has formally relocated from the United Kingdom to Dubai, confirmed through corporate filings submitted on March 7 for his companies Sparta Promotions Limited and 258 Investments Limited.

Dubai’s zero-income-tax environment is an obvious financial incentive — Sparta Promotions reported profits exceeding £20 million in 2024 — but the boxing implications may matter more than the balance sheet.

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A Career at a Crossroads

Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) is in the most uncertain stretch of his professional life. Ten days after stopping Jake Paul in the sixth round on December 19, the former two-time unified heavyweight champion was involved in a devastating car crash on Nigeria’s Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Two close friends and members of his inner circle — personal trainer Kevin “Latz” Ayodele and strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami — were killed. Joshua sustained rib injuries and was hospitalized before being released on New Year’s Eve.

The crash destroyed what had been an ambitious 2026 roadmap: a March tune-up under the Riyadh Season banner, followed by a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury in August. That timeline is now scrap paper.

“Originally, the plan for AJ was for him to fight in March and then fight Tyson Fury in August. That’s not happening,” promoter Eddie Hearn told media in February, as reported by ESPN. “He’s going to come back, I believe, late summer, but physically he’s not yet in a position to return to camp.”

Hearn has identified July as a target return date, though he acknowledged in a separate interview with First Round TV that there are no guarantees Joshua fights again at all.

Dubai as a Training Base

Joshua’s connection to Dubai is not new. He has used the city’s facilities for training camps throughout his career and was memorably photographed sparring on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab in 2017. More recently, he trained there with former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in February.

Making Dubai a permanent base rather than an occasional stop raises practical questions. Joshua’s longtime UK setup — built around the network of trainers, sparring partners, and support staff that sustained his championship years — would need to be replicated or reimagined. The loss of Ayodele and Ghami has already fractured that support system at the worst possible time.

Dubai’s geographic position does put Joshua closer to Riyadh, where Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season has staged many of boxing’s biggest recent events. If Joshua’s remaining fights are primarily bankrolled by Saudi investment — as the Fury negotiations suggest — proximity to that power center is not a disadvantage.

The Fury Fight: Delayed, Not Dead

Fury, who had been retired since consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, announced his own comeback and is scheduled to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Hearn has kept the door open for the all-British showdown, suggesting it could land at the end of 2026 or early 2027. Fury, however, has publicly stated his preference for an Usyk trilogy if he defeats Makhmudov, which would push the Joshua fight even further down the calendar.

The matchup British boxing fans spent a decade demanding now hinges on a sequence of events that must break exactly right: Joshua must return healthy, win a July tune-up, and remain on Alalshikh’s radar while Fury navigates his own path. As Fury told Sky Sports, the Joshua crash was the catalyst for his own return: “Life is very short, very precious and very fragile. Anything could happen at any given moment.”

What Comes Next

Joshua is 36 with four losses on his record. His stoppage of Paul was a necessary payday but told the sport nothing about where he stands against elite heavyweights. The last time he beat a ranked opponent was a decision over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023 — nearly three years ago.

A new address does not change those facts. What it may change is the emotional environment surrounding the final chapter of his career. Joshua spoke publicly for the first time since the crash in February, framing his return around the friends he lost: “What my goal is, is to continue to help them achieve their goals. Even though they may not be here in the physical, when I pray, I know spiritually they’re going to aid me through.”

That is not the language of a man chasing a payday. Whether he rebuilds from a gym in Dubai or one in Sheffield, the challenge is the same: prove that at 36, after everything, Anthony Joshua still belongs among the best heavyweights on the planet. The address on the corporate filing matters far less than what he does once the bell rings.

Anthony Joshua news teased by Eddie Hearn after boxer rejects offer from rival promoter

Eddie Hearn has teased news around Anthony Joshua, after revealing the heavyweight recently rejected an offer from a rival promoter.

Joshua last fought in December, stopping influencer Jake Paul in six rounds, before turning his attention to a loosely-planned bout against Tyson Fury in 2026.

However, “AJ” was involved in a car crash just 10 days after beating Paul, with the incident claiming the lives of two of Joshua’s teammates. Joshua, a former two-time world heavyweight champion, was also injured in the crash in Nigeria.

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The incident left his fighting future up in the air, but Joshua was quick to return to the gym, with his promoter Hearn soon hinting at a summer bout. Now, Hearn has added more fuel to the fire.

Hearn took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a photo of him accompanying Joshua during a past ring walk, adding the word “loading”.

The update came one day after Hearn suggested that Joshua, 36, had rejected an offer from a rival promoter – in the wake of Conor Benn’s defection from Hearn’s company, Matchroom.

In February, Benn shockingly left Matchroom to sign with Zuffa Boxing, a new promotion headed up by UFC president Dana White, who continues to verbally attack Hearn. Benn’s move came despite Matchroom standing by the welterweight during a two-year saga in which he could not box in Britain, after he failed two drug tests in 2022.

“He won’t mind me saying it, but AJ had an approach around the back, a couple of weeks ago,” Hearn said on The Ariel Helwani Show. on Tuesday.

“Do you know how quickly he sent me the message, the screenshot? Seconds. ‘Let me know what you wanna reply.’

And it’s like, we’re a team. ‘Til the wheels come off, we are a team, and I’ve got your back always. And that’s just how it is.”

Around the time of Joshua’s fight with Paul, he had also been linked to kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven. However, Verhoeven has now been paired with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. The pair will clash in a stunning bout at the pyramids of Giza in May, with Usyk’s WBC title on the line.

Meanwhile, Fury is emerging from his fifth retirement to box Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April. The Briton has long been linked to compatriot Joshua, but Fury has also made clear his desire for a trilogy bout with Usyk.

The Ukrainian, who outpointed Fury twice in 2024 to hand him his only professional losses, said this week that he is open to a third bout with the “Gypsy King”.

It is unclear whom Joshua would fight next, although Agit Kabayel is arguably the odd man out among the heavyweight elite. In May, Fabio Wardley will defend the WBO belt against Daniel Dubois, while Kabayel is the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s WBC strap after the Ukrainian boxes Verhoeven.

Another interesting wrinkle came last week, when Hearn signed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to the new Matchroom Talent Agency. Some were quick to point out Hearn’s ongoing rivalry with UFC president White.

Anthony Joshua vs Tom Aspinall Door Opens With Eddie Hearn Move

Tom Aspinall’s new partnership with Eddie Hearn could eventually open the door to a blockbuster boxing clash with Anthony Joshua once the UFC heavyweight champion’s contract expires.

The Salford-born fighter has become the first client of Hearn’s newly launched Matchroom Talent Agency, a move that places one of Britain’s biggest combat sports stars firmly within boxing’s commercial orbit.

Unlike a fight-promotion deal, the agreement focuses on commercial and advisory services — but it also links Aspinall directly to the promoter behind former heavyweight champion Joshua.

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Tom Aspinall and Eddie Hearn
In interviews since Aspinall fought Ciryl Gane in October and suffered a serious eye injury, Hearn has accused UFC president Dana White of mocking the situation and failing to show enough sympathy toward the British heavyweight.

That dispute, coupled with the obvious retaliation after White drafted Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing, suggests the feud between the promoters is far from over.

White was even quoted this week, saying on Piers Morgan’s show he would consider a boxing match with his British rival.

What the Deal Means
As for Aspinall, signing with Hearn has put his feelings on the situation out in the open and left his long-term future in the UFC open to interpretation.

Depending on the exact terms of his agreement, Aspinall is believed to have two or three fights remaining on his UFC contract.

At 32, that would still give the heavyweight plenty of time to complete his obligations before pursuing major events in professional boxing.

Since Floyd Mayweather faced Conor McGregor in 2017, crossover bouts between boxing and other combat sports have become increasingly common.

Turki Alalshikh raised the stakes further when Francis Ngannou challenged Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia, demonstrating that elite fighters from outside boxing can now enter the sport at the highest level.

Oleksandr Usyk’s planned bout with kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven in May will continue that trend.

Aspinall vs Joshua
If Aspinall eventually makes the move, he could find himself sharing the ring with Matchroom’s leading heavyweight, Anthony Joshua, in what would likely become a major UK event later in the decade.

Beyond Joshua, other options would exist depending on the level of ambition both Hearn and Aspinall pursue once the UFC chapter of his career comes to an end.

Joshua’s recent knockout of Jake Paul demonstrated that the former heavyweight champion is willing to consider crossover bouts if the terms are right.

For now, Aspinall vs Joshua remains the most intriguing possibility following Hearn’s bold move.

Anthony Joshua undergoes treatment on ribs as boxing legend continues rehab months after horror car crash

ANTHONY JOSHUA has undergone intensive treatment on his ribs as he continues physical therapy months after his horror car crash.

The heavyweight star, 36, was involved in a fatal smash in Nigeria on December 29 — just ten days after beating YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami.

AJ survived the wreck but the tragedy claimed the lives of two close friends, personal trainer Kevin “Latz” Ayodele and long-time therapist Sina Ghami.

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Joshua has been in recovery ever since the ordeal and shared snaps of the painful-looking work being done on his ribs via Snapchat.

He captioned the post: “Rehabilitation protocol. When you go thru certain things, you realise that you are stronger than you think you are.”

Personal trainer “Latz” was a childhood friend of AJ’s while Ghami was his long-time recovery therapist.

Joshua was flown back to the UK days after the crash to attend the funerals of his fallen “brothers.”

After knocking out Paul, 29, in six rounds, AJ was scheduled to fight in March, until the crash left his boxing future in doubt.

Promoter Eddie Hearn believes the two-time heavyweight king will fight again to honour of his late pals.

A summer return is growing increasingly likely, with rival Tyson Fury, 37, also out of retirement for an April clash against Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Hearn told Boxing Scene in February: “Originally, the plan with AJ was for him to fight in March and then fight Tyson Fury in August. That’s not happening.

“He’s not fighting Tyson Fury next. He’s going to come back I believe late summer, but physically he’s not yet in a position to return to camp.

“I’m planning, but he’s just resting and preparing. So for me I’m looking at options to get him back in the ring in July time.

“But we’ll only know if that’s a real possibility when he returns to camp, which will hopefully be in the next couple of weeks or a month.”

Anthony Joshua’s family make feelings clear on potential July boxing return as Brit continues recovery from tragic crash

ANTHONY JOSHUA’s family will “fully” support him if he chooses to return to the ring.

AJ’s fighting future has been up in the air since the fatal car crash which killed his two close friends and team members, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, in Nigeria last December.

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Joshua, 36, miraculously escaped the horror smash with minor injuries by swapping seats moments before the ill-fated journey took place.

The former two-time unified heavyweight champion has yet to speak on his fighting future, although he has been training and spoken of plans to honour his late friends.

And according to his uncle Ademola, the entire Joshua family will throw their weight behind him should he choose to lace up his gloves again.

Ademola told Nigerian newspaper The Punch: “We are proud of him, very proud of him.

“The way we, the elderly, think is very different from theirs, but it is all at his discretion.

“He makes the full decision, and we have full respect for him, whatever he decides.

“Whatever he has decided within himself, we will support him fully.”

Watching his nephew – who last fought in December against Jake Paul – trade yet more blows with some of the hardest-hitting humans on the planet won’t be easy for Ademola.

He said: “Each time he’s knocked down, it is just like the heart is coming out of our chest.

“All these emotional feelings whenever he’s fighting, it’s too much trauma for us also.”

Ademola’s comments on AJ potentially fighting again come on the back of promoter Eddie Hearn revealing he’s tentatively targeting a July return for the Watford warrior.

He told Boxing Scene: “[He was] due to fight in March, then fight Tyson Fury in August.

“That’s not happening anymore. He won’t be fighting Tyson Fury next.

“He’s going to come back late summer but physically he’s not in a position to return to camp.

“So I’m planning, but he’s just resting and preparing.

“We’ve really not had any solid plans to announce what’s next. I’m looking at options to get him in the ring in July time.

“But we’ll only know if that’s a real possibility when he returns to camp, which will hopefully be in the next couple of weeks.

“I think there’s nothing more that he wants at the moment than to return to training camp because it’s where he loves to be.”

Eddie Hearn is walking back the buzz around Anthony Joshua potentially returning to the ring in July, clarifying that his earlier comments were speculative and that nothing has been decided.

Eddie Hearn reveals Anthony Joshua will not fight Tyson Fury next

• Anthony Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash in December, which resulted in the deaths of two teammates and left his boxing future uncertain.
• Despite the accident, Joshua has returned to training, and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, is now targeting a potential return to the ring as early as July.
• The original plan for Joshua to fight in March, followed by a bout with Tyson Fury in August, has been cancelled due to the crash.
• A fight against Tyson Fury is now being considered for late 2026 or early 2027, with Hearn also mentioning rumours of a potential trilogy match against Oleksandr Usyk.
• Hearn indicated that while every fight is dangerous, Joshua’s next bout could serve as a warm-up before tougher challenges, depending on his physical readiness.

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