Anthony Joshua will earn a British fight purse record of £46m for his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr, reports say.

The former unified heavyweight champion is aiming to regain the titles he lost to Ruiz Jr in their last bout on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia massively outbid rival venues in New York and Las Vegas, and the Daily Star claim Joshua will pocket the biggest payday in British boxing history.

Ricky Hatton’s £20m fight purse against Floyd Mayweather in 2007 stands as the largest pay day for a British boxer, but Joshua will eclipse that figure.

While Joshua earns just under £50m for his appearance in Saudi Arabia, Ruiz Jr will receive just over £10m for the second fight.

Joshua’s previous best payday was the £18m he earned in his first showdown against Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden last June.

With Sky Sports charging £24.95 for the pay-per-view, Joshua’s earnings are set to go even further than £46m.  Joshua is the favourite going into the second fight, just as he was for the first bout.