The press conference for the much-anticipated showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury appears to have been overshadowed by Turki Alalshikh‘s comments about Dua Lipa. Explaining how the “Battle of Britain” came about, the Riyadh Season head turned his attention to the singer, claiming she has refused to perform at the fight, now set for December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

“I will be honest today,” Alalshikh said. “I know that London wouldn’t give me the stadium until 2am, and I know that Dua Lipa will not perform in the stadium because she doesn’t like boxing, and maybe she doesn’t like me…”

When someone from the crowd interrupted, Alalshikh promptly added, “No, I think she has something with the Arab. And, you know, it is my blood. I cannot change it.”

Alalshikh’s comments suggest that Lipa was approached about performing at the event widely touted as the biggest fight in British boxing history. What could be inferred from his comments, though, is that the Riyadh Season head was disappointed.

Before Fury and AJ sat down for the press conference, the narrative largely centered on the bitter differences with Eddie Hearn over the venue and Dana White’s role in promoting the fight. Taking the opportunity to address the issues that had dominated headlines for weeks, Alalshikh explained that, deep in his heart, he has always loved the people of Britain, which he treats as his second home.

However, staging the fight in Great Britain now poses a risk of losing up to $70 million, he stated. As a compromise, likely to accommodate the timing for viewers in America, they had to settle for the venue in Wales, instead of Wembley Stadium, which had been discussed previously.

Alongside his frustration over not getting the fight staged in London, Alalshikh may have also taken a swipe at Lipa for her alleged refusal.

It appears some outlets, including the Daily Mail, reached out to the singer, who is yet to respond.

Alalshikh had expressed his desire for Lipa to perform at AJ vs. Fury months ago.

Riyadh Season has hosted music stars, while Dua Lipa has graced sporting events

“NO DUA LIPA, NO FURY VS AJ IN LONDON ❌,” read a post from iFL TV published in April. “Yes, you read that correctly. Turki Alalshikh has reportedly told Netflix that Fury vs. Joshua will ONLY take place in London if singer Dua Lipa performs at the fight 🎤 Who knew that Turki Alalshikh was a big Dua Lipa fan, ey!”

Given that AJ versus Fury is a once-in-a-lifetime fight, especially one materializing after a decade-long history of failed discussions, Alalshikh and Riyadh Season likely want a singer of Dua Lipa’s stature to perform at the event.

Moreover, this aligns with how the team has previously staged their events, bringing in high-profile performers to showcase their talents and adding in the entertaining value.

One notable example is last year’s fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez, which took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and featured rock band Tool’s guitarist Adam Jones and drummer Danny Carey performing. The year before, in August 2024, when Crawford made his light middleweight debut against Israil Madrimov on the Matchroom-Riyadh Season card in Los Angeles, rap icon Eminem performed two of his popular numbers.

Meanwhile, Lipa is no stranger to performing at sporting events.

Back in 2018, the singer, who is widely known across the globe for hits including “Levitating” and “Break My Heart,” performed at a soccer match between Real Madrid and Liverpool. The same year, she went to Singapore and brought the house down at F1 Grand Prix’s weekend entertainment event.

Beyond Alalshikh’s speculations and Lipa’s alleged stance, perhaps what matters most to the fans is that the fight is finally taking shape.

The fight may already be coming too late in their careers. Both AJ and Fury are past their prime. Win or lose, both former world champions are likely to be entering the final stretch of their careers, with perhaps only one or two fights left.

From that perspective, most fans would rather focus on the fight and the card than on secondary distractions, such as who would be entertaining them on the night.