Both Joshua and Fury have received financial support to make over £100 million from their resentment match, which may happen before the year is out.

The road for Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s upcoming fight has now been established, and they may square off in the ring at the end of the year.

The bout between domestic rivals Joshua and Fury is getting closer after ‘AJ’ secured an undisputed world title shot by defeating former UFC champion Francis Ngannou last month. The two had been linked to fight for nearly ten years. On May 18, Fury will challenge Oleksandr Usyk, a fellow heavyweight champion, for the undisputed titles in Saudi Arabia.

Fury and Usyk’s fight has a two-way rematch clause meaning they will likely fight again in August or September, which is around the same time that Joshua will return to the ring. Around September is when I’ve been told. I was hoping June,” Joshua said when asked about his next fight on The Jonathan Ross Show.

“I’ve got some time to go on dates now and mingle a little bit. I’m training at the minute, I’ve got two months before I get into training camp.” Joshua will fight the winner of Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic in September, according to his good friend Derek Chisora.

A fight between Dubois and Hrgovic will likely take place on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s undisputed light-heavyweight fight in Saudi Arabia on June 1. The heavyweight clash could be for the IBF world title if the organisation forces Fury or Usyk to fight mandatory challenger Hrgovic.

If ‘AJ’ can come out of his September fight relatively unscathed, it means he could be set for a three-month turnaround to fight Fury in Saudi Arabia at the end of the year. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn thinks the domestic clash could be made even sooner if Fury beats Usyk next month.

When asked what is more likely to happen first, darts ace Luke Littler winning a world championship or Joshua facing Fury, Hearn told Piers Morgan: “Well because the darts Championship comes in December and January, I’m gonna say that Fury vs AJ happens this year. So I’m gonna say Fury vs AJ [happens first].”