Deontay Wilder will face unbeaten Australian cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s bout with Anthony Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday, 11 December 2026, organizers announced. The fight will serve as the co-main event, with the WBA 'super' heavyweight title on the line, and will stream live worldwide on Netflix.
Wilder, 41, held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and has a professional record of 45 wins, four defeats and one draw, with 43 victories by knockout. The American is looking to re-establish himself among the heavyweight elite following recent bouts that included defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang in 2024, followed by victories over Tyrrell Anthony Herndon and Derek Chisora.
Opetaia, 31, is undefeated in 31 professional outings with 24 knockouts and will move up to heavyweight for the first time in his career. The southpan fighter established dominance in the 200lb division, capturing the IBF world title in 2022 against Mairis Briedis and stopping Noel Mikaelian in September 2026.
The undercard event is scheduled for a Friday night to accommodate a prime-time American audience for Netflix, with the main-event ringwalks expected around 01:00 GMT on Saturday, 12 December 2026, following a live music performance.