Fury says Joshua wants a 'final payday' before Dec. 11 Cardiff fight

Tyson Fury is framing the Cardiff fight as Anthony Joshua's last big purse, and himself as the man willing to hand it over. "At the end of his career now he wants a final payday. I'll give it to him, no problem," Fury told WSVN Miami from his training camp, according to Combat Sports UK.

The all-British heavyweight meeting is booked for Dec. 11 at the Principality Stadium. Fury, 38, says he never thought it would happen, claiming Joshua turned the fight down four or five times before. That account comes from Fury alone; Joshua has not been quoted on it, though he has predicted he will knock Fury out.

The more telling remark is about what comes after. Fury says Cardiff will not close his career, with two fights left on his contract. That sits awkwardly with the idea of a farewell night for either man, and it keeps the focus on his preferred next step.

That step is a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk, who beat Fury twice in 2024. Fury still disputes the decision in the rematch, and he said Usyk knows he can't get any money anywhere else.

The age gap is small. Fury is 38 and Joshua is 37, and both are heavyweights who have been booked against each other for Dec. 11. Fury stands 6 ft 9 in to Joshua's 6 ft 6 in.

Watch for Joshua's response to the payday talk as fight week approaches, and for any sign of how Fury's Usyk plans depend on what happens in Cardiff.