Deontay Wilder, the former World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, will face unbeaten Australian cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury's fight with Anthony Joshua in Cardiff on 11 December, organizers announced on Wednesday, according to The Guardian.
Opetaia will move up to heavyweight to take on Wilder at the Principality Stadium, with the event streaming live worldwide on Netflix. The matchup adds another high-profile contest to a card headlined by Fury and Joshua, whose long-awaited meeting was confirmed in September.
Wilder, 41, held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and made 10 successful defenses before losing the belt to Fury. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has a professional record of 45 wins, four defeats and one draw, with 43 victories coming by knockout. He appeared bound for retirement after a one-sided defeat to Joseph Parker and a knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang in 2024, but has since beaten Tyrrell Anthony Herndon and Derek Chisora.
Opetaia, 31, is unbeaten in 31 professional outings. The Australian southpaw won the IBF world title with a victory over Mairis Briedis in 2022 and has since dominated the 200lb division. A former Olympian who represented Australia at the 2012 London Games aged 16, the Sydneysider will make his heavyweight debut against Wilder, who stands 6ft 7in.