Turki Alalshikh has claimed that pop star Dua Lipa turned down an opportunity to perform at the highly anticipated Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua heavyweight showdown.
The boxing chief made the unexpected remarks during Wednesday night’s launch press conference, where Fury and Joshua faced each other publicly for the first time since their blockbuster fight was announced.
Alalshikh, who is financing the event, was invited to explain how the long-awaited British heavyweight clash finally came together and why Cardiff was selected as its host city.
Cardiff Confirmed as Host of the ‘Battle of Britain’
The fight had previously been linked with major venues including London’s Wembley Stadium and New York’s Madison Square Garden.
However, the contest will instead take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, keeping the highly anticipated heavyweight meeting in the United Kingdom.
While explaining the venue decision, Alalshikh unexpectedly brought Dua Lipa into the discussion.
He claimed that London could not provide the stadium at the required time and suggested that the singer would not have agreed to perform there because of her views toward boxing and possibly toward him personally.
Alalshikh Claims Singer Turned Down Performance
Alalshikh told the audience that London would not make the stadium available until 2am and claimed that Dua Lipa would not perform there because she does not like boxing.
He also added that she might not like him.
The comments were made publicly during the press conference, although no independent confirmation of the alleged performance offer or rejection was provided in the material surrounding the event.
Dua Lipa’s representatives have been approached for comment.
Boxing Chief Says UK Event Comes at a Huge Cost
Alalshikh also used the press conference to explain why staging the fight in Britain presented significant financial challenges.
He said hosting the event in the UK could result in losses of around $70 million, equivalent to approximately £52.8 million.
According to Alalshikh, the timing of the event and the availability of suitable venues were major considerations when deciding where the fight should take place.
He said Cardiff offered a workable solution while still allowing the event to remain in the UK.
Eddie Hearn Celebrates British Venue
Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has been among the strongest advocates for staging the fight in Britain.
Speaking during the event, the Matchroom chairman thanked the British boxing community for putting pressure on those involved to ensure the contest was held on home soil.
Hearn acknowledged that his relationship with Alalshikh had experienced disagreements but said he expected the fight to become an exceptional night for British boxing.
He also argued that both Joshua and Fury had played major roles in elevating British boxing’s global reputation.
Fury and Joshua Finally Face Off
Wednesday’s press conference marked the first public face-off between the two heavyweight stars since their long-awaited fight was officially announced.
Fury and Joshua have been linked with a potential showdown for years, but previous negotiations failed to produce the contest.
The event has now moved into its formal promotional phase, with the two British fighters preparing to settle their rivalry in Cardiff.
While the focus of the night was supposed to be the heavyweight clash, Alalshikh’s unexpected comments about Dua Lipa added another talking point to an already high-profile event.
The singer’s representatives have yet to publicly respond to his claim about the proposed performance.
