Anthony Joshua hit the scales on Friday and recorded a weight of 251 pounds, a noticeable increase of roughly 7.6 pounds compared with the 243.4 pounds he logged when he faced internet sensation Jake Paul in December 2025. The British heavyweight is now gearing up for a high‑stakes bout against Albania’s rising contender Kristian Prenga, set to take place on Saturday night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The weigh‑in highlighted a clear size disparity between the two fighters. While Joshua tipped the scales at 251 lb, Prenga arrived at a heftier 261.4 lb, making him about 10.4 lb heavier than the former champion.
For context, Joshua’s heaviest recorded fight weight to date was 255.4 lb when he knocked out Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, so the current figure sits a few pounds below his personal maximum. Both athletes have been making headlines in the lead‑up to the event. After the weigh‑in, Joshua told DAZN Boxing, “We’re feeling good.
It’s going down tomorrow night in Jeddah.” His confidence comes on the heels of a recent triumph by fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury, who secured a seventh‑round technical knockout over Mariusz Wach in Thailand. Fury praised his own performance but expressed doubts about Joshua’s ability to overcome Prenga, noting the Albanian’s impressive record. Prenga, a 35‑year‑old fighter from Albania, enters the ring with an almost unblemished résumé: out of 21 professional contests he has suffered just a single loss, and he has finished his last 16 opponents by way of knockout or technical knockout. The Albanian’s power and consistency have earned him a fervent following at home, and he now carries the hopes of an entire nation into the Jeddah arena.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, underscored the magnitude of the challenge in a recent interview with DAZN Boxing. “The work is done and this isn’t going to be easy,” Hearn said.
“Prenga isn’t a guy coming in here with a bundle of defeats, coming for a payday. He’s got the whole of Albania behind him, by the sounds of things as well.
Big fight, big opportunity. We know what comes the other side; we’ve just got to deal with this guy tonight.
I expect, and I hope, that we get a performance that shows everything that Joshua has put into this training camp.” Joshua’s preparation for the fight has been unusually collaborative. Since his last bout against Paul, he has been training alongside the camp of Oleksandr Usyk, the current unified heavyweight champion. Usyk’s team has been pushing Joshua to elevate his game, urging him to “show greatness” against Prenga.
In a candid conversation with Sky Sports, Joshua reflected on this guidance: “I’m quite good at what I do anyway. I’m quite strong. I can take, I can give, so sometimes I can just get away with doing enough but still be good enough.
But these guys are like, ‘nah.’ They want to see more. They want to see more, like bring it out.
Let’s bring out the good stuff that you’ve got in you and let’s improve. My approach to training has definitely improved a lot.” He added that the expectations set by Usyk’s camp are now part of his daily routine: “You’re performing at your best, but it should be normal to perform at this level.
That’s what Usyk’s team were saying. Your greatness should just be something that you do every day in the gym.” This mindset suggests that Joshua is not merely aiming to win the fight but to demonstrate a level of skill and conditioning that matches the elite standards of modern heavyweight boxing. Beyond the immediate stakes, the Joshua‑Prenga clash carries broader implications for the heavyweight division. A victory for Joshua would reinforce his status as a top‑tier contender and potentially set up a future showdown with the likes of Usyk or even a rematch with Fury.
Conversely, a win for Prenga would catapult him into the global spotlight, positioning the Albanian as a serious threat to the established order and possibly earning him a title shot. Fans can also look forward to a stacked fight card surrounding the main event. Later on Sunday, Sky Sports will broadcast the undercard bouts featuring Edgar Berlanga versus Steven Butler and Richardson Hitchins versus Ricardo Salas, both taking place in New York. Viewers can stream the action via Sky Sports or the NOW platform without a long‑term contract.
In summary, the weigh‑in has set the stage for a compelling narrative: a seasoned British champion, slightly lighter but seasoned, versus a heavier, knockout‑hungry Albanian challenger backed by national pride. With both camps emphasizing preparation, strategy, and the desire to deliver an unforgettable performance, the Jeddah showdown promises to be a pivotal moment in the heavyweight landscape.
Whether Joshua can harness the guidance from Usyk’s team and prove his resilience, or Prenga can leverage his power and momentum to secure a career‑defining upset, the boxing world will be watching closely.