Anthony Joshua Set for Historic Nigeria Homecoming Fight in 2026

Anthony Joshua is on course to fulfil his long-held dream of fighting in Nigeria, as promoter Dr Ezekiel Adamu has revealed concrete plans to stage the heavyweight star’s first bout on African soil in early 2026.

Dr Adamu, CEO of Balmoral Group and the force behind Nigeria’s “Chaos in the Ring” event scheduled for October 1 in Lagos, confirmed that talks with Joshua’s camp have been highly encouraging.

“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 told The Ring.
“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.”

The homecoming bout is expected to take place at the 50,000-capacity Abuja Stadium, with Adamu pushing for an all-African showdown. Potential opponents include Tony Yoka, Martin Bakole and even former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, who also has Nigerian heritage.

Addressing speculation that Joshua could instead fight in Ghana, Adamu dismissed the idea.
“I heard rumours about Joshua fighting in Ghana, and I laughed it off because where is the story in there? Joshua is Nigerian. Now we have a big promotion and Nigeria is the biggest market. It’s a no-brainer for Joshua to fight in Nigeria.”

Though born in Watford, Joshua has deep ties to Nigeria, having attended school in the country and proudly wearing a tattoo of its outline on his right shoulder.

Adamu believes the fight will mark the start of a new era for African boxing.
“We’ve got the population, we’ve got the infrastructure, and we’ve got the technical know-how. October 1 is just a sneak peek. This is only the beginning. Nigeria has the potential to become a heavyweight boxing hub,” he said.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has previously floated the idea of a return to Africa, but the concept has remained theoretical until now. With Balmoral’s push, the planned 2026 homecoming would not only be historic for Joshua but also position Nigeria as a leading stage for world-class boxing.