Heavyweight fights we want to see in 2026: Fury-Joshua, more

The landscape of the heavyweight division is changing as champions and former champions approach retirement, so who can we expect to be involved in the biggest fights moving forward?

Some of the usual names are still looking for a title opportunity or a big payday. Both of those opportunities will be on the line when WBO heavyweight interim champion Joseph Parker takes on Fabio Wardley in London on Saturday, with the winner positioned for a title fight in 2026 against undisputed champ Oleksandr Usyk.

Since Turki Alalshikh, chairperson of the Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority, became the most powerful figure in boxing a few years ago, matchups that make sense to fans no longer remain a fantasy and are made thanks to the heavyweight purses.

Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) holds all four (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO) heavyweight titles, but there are many big fights the division can make to start 2026 -- not just title fights -- that would grab fight fans' attention.

Here are some of the best heavyweight fights that could get made through 2026.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Joseph Parker

Let's start with the king, who said recently he intends to fight until he is 41. Usyk, 38, is coming off a clinical fifth-round KO of former IBF champion Daniel Dubois in July, which once again crowned Usyk as undisputed champion. Former champ Tyson Fury, 37, is keen on another crack at Usyk, but what might come first is Usyk vs. Parker, assuming Parker defeats Fabio Wardley on Saturday.

Parker, 33, a former WBO champion, has looked sharp in recent performances and is the WBO mandatory challenger. Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) has been waiting for some time for a title shot and looks to be the most likely to face Usyk first in 2026. Parker might have been facing Usyk now, but Usyk suffered a back injury and that led to Parker taking the fight against Wardley instead.

Can Parker, with the smart boxing he showed in victories over Deontay Wilder (2023) and Zhilei Zhang (2024), disrupt Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) and cause him any discomfort? Usyk, who will bring so much more movement and boxing skill than Zhang or Wilder, will be strongly favored to beat Parker. If Wardley, a boxer with virtually no amateur experience, upsets the odds against Parker, could he be the surprise next opponent for Usyk?

Whether it is Parker or Wardley next, watching Usyk -- perhaps the best heavyweight since Lennox Lewis -- is a live event not to be missed.

Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua

While Usyk vs. Fury 3 could happen, the fight that grabs the most attention and could probably generate the biggest pay-per-view income is Fury against Joshua.

This is a fight that has been five years in the making, and we are still hopeful we will see Fury vs. Joshua in 2026. But what if Fury decides to face Usyk next year instead, then retires for good -- win or lose -- after the fight? Despite its appeal and value, we still can't be sure about this one.

Successive attempts to match Fury and Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) have failed since 2020, and the megafight has lost some gloss now that neither is a world champion. But there is still huge interest to see the English rivals face off. Frank Warren, Fury's promoter, said recently that Fury wants to make a comeback next year, but Fury has not boxed since Usyk outpointed him in December.

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn told ESPN that Joshua, 36, wants the Fury fight, but a lot needs to fall into place before we can be certain of it happening. Heavyweight boxing is unpredictable, and in a dream scenario, Fury vs. Joshua happens next.

Deontay Wilder vs. Francis Ngannou

Hear me out. Wilder vs. Ngannou would be a very entertaining spectacle and would go down well with boxing and MMA fans. Here's why: These two are a long way adrift of title contention (Wilder has lost four of his past six fights -- three by KO -- and Ngannou has fought only once in MMA since his last fight in the UFC in January 2022) as they approach the end of their careers. But their firepower means they still generate excitement. There would be big punches, thrills and spills in this novelty fight.

They have gone at each other on social media recently, with Ngannou posting that "It's time to finally settle the debate," and Wilder responding with "Step in the ring ...". And both have a reason to go for the KO, if this fight becomes a reality, to revive their careers.

Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, suffered a painful Round 2 KO loss against Joshua in a boxing match in March 2024. However, he was better in his other boxing appearance, when he lost a split decision to Fury, then the WBC champion, two years ago. Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs), a former WBC world champion, looked poor in a stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang last year but did register a stoppage win in his last outing against little-known Tyrrell Herndon in June.

Wilder and Ngannou are both massive punchers, and plenty of fans would tune in to see who lands the knockout punch because this one definitely wouldn't go to the scorecards.

Anthony Joshua vs. Martin Bakole

With Joshua returning from elbow surgery, and having not fought since he was KO'd by Dubois in September 2024, Hearn says the two-time champion will likely first face someone other than Fury early next year.

Bakole (21-2-1, 16 KOs) has recently been linked with Joshua in a fight that would take place in Nigeria. Joshua, who has Nigerian ancestry and lived in the African country for a brief period during childhood, could be attracted by the experience of fighting in Africa with an opportunity to rejuvenate his career following his most damaging loss.

Bakole, 33, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, looks like a good opponent for Joshua to set himself up for a big fight in 2026 with a spectacular win. Parker swept aside Bakole inside two rounds in February, although Bakole did step in as a late notice substitute opponent. Bakole also drew with Efe Ajagba in May.

Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic

Itauma, one of the most exciting heavyweights, is scheduled to fight Dec. 13 but he's still seeking an opponent.

Some have already ruled themselves out of facing the 6-foot-4 Itauma. Usyk said last week he does not expect to fight Itauma before retiring, while Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev, the WBA "regular" heavyweight champ, opted to face Murat Gassiev instead on Dec. 12.

Hrgovic (19-1, 14 KOs) won't be in the opposite corner of Itauma on Dec. 13 but would be an excellent step up in class next year for Itauma, 20, who notched his eighth first-round KO win early this year.

We have yet to see Itauma's chin get seriously tested, and perhaps the experience, movement and slick boxing of Hrgovic will provide that.

Dillian Whyte (31-4, 21 KOs), a veteran who went six rounds with Fury challenging for the WBC world title in April 2022, was destroyed inside a round by Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) in August, and the young contender could experience some longer contests where he is challenged more. Hrgovic has suffered from cuts in recent fights, but if his skin holds out his power, experience and boxing smarts should give Itauma more rounds than he is accustomed.

Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Daniel Dubois

Jalolov, two-time Olympic gold medalist for Uzbekistan, is another contender who potentially could move to the top of the heavyweight division after Usyk, Joshua and Fury are gone from the sport.

The 6-foot-7 Jalolov, 31, is currently under the radar and in need of a big win to break into the top five. A fight that could boost his profile would be against fellow KO specialist Dubois.

It's a high-risk encounter for both: Jalolov (16-0, 14 KOs) is undefeated, closing in on a title shot, while Dubois is coming off a Round 5 KO loss to Usyk and cannot afford another setback. Dubois, who knocked out Joshua just over a year ago in his first and only defense of the IBF title, has not fought since losing to Usyk in July and might be tempted by the chance to make up some ground against a fellow contender.

This matchup has the potential to be an entertaining slugfest between two big punchers with the chance to get to the top.