Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s highly anticipated bout will take place in Cardiff, Wales, with UFC president Dana White acknowledging that the United Kingdom was the appropriate venue despite initial efforts to host the fight in the United States.

Joshua, 36, signed a contract in April agreeing to face Fury, 38, specifying that the match must be held in the UK. The Principality Stadium in Cardiff secured the rights to host the fight, scheduled for the early hours of December 12 UK time. The event has generated significant demand, with all 80,000 tickets selling out within an hour and expected ticket revenue reaching £25 million, potentially ranking it as one of boxing’s highest-grossing gates.

White, who established Zuffa Boxing in January with backing from Saudi Arabian businessman Turki Al-Sheikh, expressed support for the UK location despite initially attempting to move the fight to Madison Square Garden in New York. Organizers, including broadcaster Netflix, sought to capitalize on the US market, but promoter Eddie Hearn and Joshua insisted on keeping the bout on British soil.

White commented that while the Cardiff event will be successful, a fight at Madison Square Garden also would have drawn strong attendance. He praised Joshua and Hearn’s efforts to maintain the fight in the UK, stating, “You’ve got to credit Eddie and AJ for fighting hard to keep it in the UK.”

The UFC president’s involvement has been a point of contention. White alleged that Netflix and Turki Al-Sheikh approached him in May to promote the fight despite the existing contract explicitly barring his participation. However, White downplayed this, emphasizing that the focus should remain on Fury and Joshua rather than on personal disputes. “Eddie has made this about me and Eddie. This is about Fury and AJ. That’s the only thing that matters,” White said.

The fight is set for Friday, December 11, and will be broadcast live exclusively on Netflix, marking a significant event in the boxing calendar and highlighting the continued interest in heavyweight matchups between top British fighters.