Tickets for Tyson Fury's heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua at Cardiff's Principality Stadium will go on general sale at midday on Friday, October 9, it was announced at the fighters' first official press conference in London on Wednesday evening.
The fight is scheduled to take place at the Principality Stadium on the evening of Friday, December 11, with the host of Wednesday night's press conference confirming the ticket sale date.
Decade in the making
The announcement marks another major milestone for an all-British heavyweight clash that has been more than a decade in the making. Fury and Joshua have now arrived in London for their first public appearance together since the fight was officially announced.
The event comes after a turbulent few days which briefly threatened to derail the contest. The December 11 fight was thrown into doubt amid a dispute over the proposed involvement of UFC chief Dana White in the promotion.
Dispute resolved
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn insisted contractual terms prevented White from having a promotional role, while White publicly criticised Hearn and subsequently said he did not know whether the fight or Wednesday's press conference would go ahead. White did not attend the launch.
There had also been questions over Fury's involvement in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association testing programme, although his manager Spencer Brown has since confirmed the former world champion is enrolled with Vada.
Start time uncertainty
The fight now appears to be back on track, with Fury and Joshua finally sharing a stage ahead of their huge Cardiff showdown. However, there remains uncertainty over exactly when the fight itself will begin.
Fury's camp has been pushing for the proposed 2am UK start time to be brought forward, with Brown previously describing the prospect of fans being in the stadium at that hour as "far too late". Talks remain ongoing over the timing of the bout, with the Principality Stadium yet to apply to extend its licence beyond the current 1am curfew.
The timing is being discussed in the context of the fight's huge global television audience, but Fury's camp has made clear its preference for an earlier start for supporters attending in Wales and across the UK.
The ticket announcement will now give fans their first concrete opportunity to secure a place inside the Principality Stadium for what is expected to be one of the biggest sporting events Cardiff has hosted. The fight was formally announced last week by Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, with a reported purse approaching $200m (£151m).
