Dana White Announces Deontay Wilder vs. Jai Opetaia on the Fury vs. Joshua Card
By Real Combat Media Boxing Editorial Staff
Cardiff, Wales, (December 11th, 2026)–Dana White has announced that former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will fight undefeated cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia on the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua card on December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The card streams on Netflix, and the fight will be Opetaia’s heavyweight debut. The Zuffa Boxing star leaves the 200-pound division for one night to face one of the most feared punchers in the sport.
Opetaia Moves Up to Heavyweight
Opetaia is 31-0 with 24 knockouts and holds the Ring Magazine and WBA Regular cruiserweight titles, along with the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship. He most recently stopped Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round in September. White had been pointing toward Wilder for weeks. In early October he told Sky Sports that Opetaia was more than likely headed for the Cardiff undercard and called the matchup a dangerous one for a cruiserweight. Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, said his camp accepted the offer, and Dan Rafael reported on October 30 that the two sides had reached an agreement.
Wilder Gets a Marquee Opponent
Wilder is 45-4-1 with 43 knockouts. The 40-year-old beat Derek Chisora in April, but he has lost four of his last seven fights. A fight with Oleksandr Usyk had been discussed, but those talks reportedly collapsed over financial terms, and the Opetaia fight became the biggest option on the table. Wilder fought Fury three times in one of the best heavyweight trilogies in recent memory, so he will share a stadium card with the man who beat him twice.
What to Watch
This is a clash of skill and power. Opetaia is the more technical fighter, a quick combination puncher who has never lost, and he is generally viewed as the better boxer. Wilder has one of the heaviest right hands the heavyweight division has seen, and the fight happening at heavyweight keeps that equalizer in play for every round. The questions for Opetaia are how his chin and body hold up against heavyweight power and how he handles a size advantage he has never faced in the ring. The question for Wilder is whether, at 40, he can find the right hand against a fast, mobile opponent who will not stand still in front of him.
What It Means for Benavidez
Opetaia has agreed in the ring to fight David Benavidez on Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2027 in Las Vegas, and reports have indicated the Wilder fight is not expected to derail that plan. It still carries risk. Opetaia has to add weight for heavyweight, then return to the 200-pound cruiserweight limit, and a damaging loss or an injury in Cardiff would put the Benavidez fight in jeopardy.
How to Watch
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua streams live on Netflix from Principality Stadium in Cardiff on December 11. Check Netflix for the full card and start times as they are released.
Watch
Dana White Announces Deontay Wilder vs. Jai Opetaia
BOOOOOM!!!! Wilder vs Opetaia is OFFICIAL in Cardiff, Wales.
Wilder has a 95% knockout rate and Opetaia is undefeated 31-0. #FuryJoshua is LIVE on December 11th on @netflix pic.twitter.com/mxKdjPV4yv
— danawhite (@danawhite) November 4, 2026
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