By Basant El-Faramawy
American Deontay Wilder will face Australian Jai Opetaia on the undercard of the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua heavyweight fight in December, serving as the co-main event at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Fight details and records
The bout will feature the WBA 'super' heavyweight title on the line. Opetaia, 31, the undefeated WBA 'regular' cruiserweight champion (31-0, 24 KOs), steps up to heavyweight for the first time. Wilder, 41, a former WBC heavyweight champion (45-4-1, 43 KOs), aims to re-establish himself among the division's elite.
Background and context
Wilder held the WBC title from 2015 to 2020 and is regarded as one of the most feared punchers of his generation. He lost two of three fights against Fury, and a knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang in June 2024 derailed a potential bout with Joshua. Opetaia, a former IBF cruiserweight champion, recently stopped Noel Mikaelian but could not claim the WBC belt due to a sanctioning dispute. He also faced off with David Benavidez after that victory.
Ticket sales and schedule
Tickets for the main event sold out in under an hour. Ringwalks are expected around 01:00 GMT on Saturday, 12 December, following a live music performance, with the stadium remaining open until 03:30. The remaining undercard bouts are yet to be announced, though Wales' former IBF super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina is in negotiations to fight Manny Pacquiao.
