Home · Sports · Nov 4 archive
Wilder to Face Opetaia in Heavyweight Bout on Fury v Joshua Undercard
· Confirmed
In Short: Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, 41, will face Australia's Jai Opetaia, 31, in a heavyweight bout on the undercard of Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua on December 11 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, 41, will face Australia's Jai Opetaia, 31, in a heavyweight bout on the undercard of Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua on December 11 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Wilder, known for his powerful right hand, holds a record of 45-4-1 with 43 knockouts. He last fought in June 2024, losing to Zhilei Zhang.
Opetaia, undefeated with a 31-0 record and 24 knockouts, is stepping up from cruiserweight for the first time. He last fought in September, defeating Noel Mikaelian.
The fight could be a significant step for Opetaia, who could face David Benavidez in cruiserweight if he remains undefeated. Wilder, however, is looking to re-establish himself in the heavyweight division.
UFC CEO Dana White announced the fight alongside Netflix, though promoter Eddie Hearn has questioned White's role in the Fury-Joshua promotion.
Wilder's return to the ring marks his first time fighting twice in a single year since 2019.
Opetaia's move up to heavyweight is a significant step, and the fight could set up a future cruiserweight showdown with Benavidez if he remains undefeated.
Wilder's physical advantages and experience will be tested against Opetaia's undefeated record and potential as a rising heavyweight contender.
What's confirmed
- Unbeaten WBA 'regular' cruiserweight champion Opetaia, 31, will step up to heavyweight for the first time to fight Wilder, a former world champion with 43 knockouts.
- Deontay Wilder is almost 10 years older than Jai Opetaia American Deontay Wilder will fight Australia's Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua in December.
- Opetaia faced off against David Benavidez after his victory over Mikaelian and a future cruiserweight fight could still happen if the Mexican comes through his three-belt unification bout with Michal Cieslak.
- This will be a first high-level heavyweight fight for Opetaia, who is a previous holder of the IBF championship and a force at cruiserweight.
- ‘The Bronze Bomber’ will face 31-0 cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia in the co-main event of the evening.
- Deontay Wilder ‘s return to the ring on the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua undercard has been officially announced.
- A victory for Opetaia could set up a huge showdown at cruiserweight against David Benavidez in 2027, but ‘The Mexican Monster’ may also be about to turn his attention to a clash with Usyk next year, after the Ukrainian announced his plans to return to 200lbs.
- Veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported on Friday, October 30, that Wilder's and Opetaia's teams had reached an agreement for the fight to take place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11.
- He was stopped by Fury again in their 2021 trilogy fight before suffering a points defeat to Joseph Parker in 2023 and a knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang the following year.
- Deontay Wilder vs. Jai Opetaia is joining the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua card in Cardiff, Wales.
- Deontay Wilder (45-4-1) possesses one of the most powerful right hands boxing has ever seen, and he’ll bring it to the ring against undefeated reigning cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (31-0) in a featured fight on a card headlined by Tyson Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) vs.
- Deontay Wilder and Jai Opetaia meet in a heavyweight clash The Tyson Fury vs.
What's still developing
- Wilder, 41, held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and is regarded as one of the most feared punchers of his generation.
- Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) will hope to re-establish himself among the heavyweight elite, while Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) could be eyeing a fresh challenge, after years of dominance at cruiserweight.
- The remaining bouts on the undercard are still to be announced, with Wales' former IBF super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina thought to be in negotiations to fight Manny Pacquiao.
- The American also enjoyed an epic trilogy with Fury, but came out on the losing side with a draw and two defeats.
- Can’t believe Wilder went from one of my favorite heavyweights to watch, to genuinely worried for him.
- As for the 31-year-old Opetaia (31-0, 21 KOs), he continued his winning ways by stopping Armenian bruiser Norair Mikaeljan earlier this year in Las Vegas, though he did it without his IBF title.
- The Australian last competed at heavyweight in 2017, making the Dec.
- The originating outlet is credited and linked in the article.
- The contest would mark Opetaia's heavyweight debut, with the former two-time cruiserweight titleholder set to test himself against one of the division's biggest names.
- He’s beyond over the hill and Opetaia can really hurt Wilder bad.
- Opetaia enters the fight unbeaten and widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
- The matchup was first reported in early October by Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger, who said a Wilder vs Opetaia heavyweight fight was being explored for the Cardiff undercard after talks between Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk fell apart.