ANTHONY JOSHUA’s blockbuster undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury could end up clashing with Conor McGregor’s latest venture to the octagon.
The long-awaited Battle of Britain is in the works for the summer, with both parties working towards a June or July date.
Matchroom boxing chief Eddie Hearn, however, recently claimed the fight could take place in the ‘first week’ or the ‘backend’ of July.
That could end up being a cause for concern as McGregor’s trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier is currently targeted for the same month.
The third instalment of McGregor vs Poirier is set to headline UFC 264 on July 10.
The good news for Hearn, however, is the former featherweight rivals’ series decider has yet to be finalised.
Staging the biggest fight in the history of British boxing in the same month as Poirier vs McGregor III could end up having a detrimental effect on pay-per-view buys for both fights.
Fight fans in the USA will likely have to pay $89.95 – the price of the much-maligned Mayweather vs McGregor PPV in 2017 – to watch Joshua vs Fury and a further $69.99 to view UFC 264.
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Those in the UK will have to stump up a minimum of £40 to watch both fights, that is if Joshua vs Fury isn’t priced more than the usual £19.95.
But Hearn is confident Joshua and Fury’s long-overdue meeting will indeed take place in July.
During an appearance on The AK and Barak show, he said: “In July.
“The date depends on many different things. For one venue, it’s the backend of July, and for another venue, it’s the first week of July.
“There’s been a bit of talk about Wembley, which is difficult, but we got 100,000 capacity, which the government is working towards.
“Wembley is trying to initiate full capacity. So if we did have full capacity at the end of July, Wembley comes into the conversation.
“In AJ’s head, this comes down to as much money as possible, but for AJ, I’m not saying he’s looking for the right deal, but he just wants to fight.
“He wants this fight next more than anything. So if it’s 100,000 at Wembley, Anthony Joshua is 1 million percent signed and in for this fight.
“Obviously, we have to do our job and go around the world and present all the offers to the fighters, but Anthony Joshua has told me categorically that if it’s Wembley and full up, ‘I’m in.’
“But firstly, I have to deal with all these approaches for the fighters.”
Despite the delay in finalising the bout – which was agreed last June – Joshua and Fury are both hard at work in the gym.
Hearn, 41, said: “AJ is in 100 per cent full camp.
“In his mind, this is the only fight that is going to happen next. Whoever comes up with the best opportunity, it’s on.
“I hope that will come from the other side as well because everybody signed a contract, and they have to approve the site and the deal as far as the site offers.
“But it’s going to be significant.”
