Deontay Wilder to face Jai Opetaia on undercard of Fury‑Joshua showdown
The undercard bout between former champion Deontay Wilder and unbeaten cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia is set for 11 December at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, with the fight streamed live on Netflix. Wilder, 41, enters the match with a 45‑4‑1 record and hopes to re‑establish himself among heavyweight contenders, while Opetaia, 31, makes his heavyweight debut after 31 straight wins, 24 by knockout. The event forms part of the highly anticipated Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua main event.
Key facts
- Dana White, promoter of Opetaia, also helps promote the Fury‑Joshua main event.
- Tickets for the main heavyweight bout sold out within an hour of release.
- The undercard fight is promoted by Saudi firm Sela together with Queensberry Promotions and Matchroom Sport.
- Wilder held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020.
- Opetaia is the reigning cruiserweight champion before stepping up to heavyweight.
Summarised with AI from 5 sourcesRead our AI policy
Why it matters
The fight tests Wilder's comeback and marks Opetaia's first heavyweight appearance.
What changed
First published from Sky Sports, The Independent, Yahoo Sports, CNA and CBS Sports