Anthony Joshua produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Kristian Prenga after being knocked down twice in a dramatic heavyweight contest in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Joshua was dropped just 20 seconds into the opening round after being caught by a powerful uppercut from the Albanian underdog. He was knocked down again later in the same round, leaving fans fearing one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing.

Despite the early setbacks, Joshua regained control in the second round and unleashed a series of powerful punches. A crushing right hand sent Prenga to the canvas, prompting the referee to stop the fight.

The victory marked Joshua’s first fight since surviving a car accident in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.

After the fight, an emotional Joshua dedicated the win to his late friends.

“It’s more than punch power. That was spirit. That was Latz, that was Sina,” Joshua said before becoming emotional during his post-fight interview.

The win keeps alive the long-awaited heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury. Although Fury did not attend the event, Joshua said he respects his fellow British boxer and hopes fans will enjoy the fight when it finally takes place.

Both fighters have reportedly signed contracts, but the official venue and date for the highly anticipated bout have yet to be announced.

Joshua’s victory was widely seen as one of the most resilient performances of his career, overcoming adversity inside and outside the ring to remain on course for one of boxing’s biggest fights.