Wilder to face Opetaia on Fury-Joshua Cardiff undercard

Deontay Wilder will face unbeaten Jai Opetaia on the December 11 undercard of Tyson Fury’s fight with Anthony Joshua in Cardiff, organizers announced Wednesday. Opetaia, a cruiserweight champion, will move up to heavyweight for the bout at Principality Stadium. The event is scheduled to stream globally on Netflix. The matchup places the 31-year-old Australian, who has won all 31 of his professional bouts, against a former WBC heavyweight champion. It will be Opetaia’s first fight in the heavyweight division. Wilder, 41, has spent his professional career at heavyweight and held the WBC title from 2015 to 2020, making 10 successful defenses before losing it to Fury. Wilder’s most recent fight was an April split-decision victory over Derek Chisora in London. He has a record of 45 wins, four losses and one draw, with 43 victories by knockout. Before beating Chisora, Wilder had also returned to the ring with a win over Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in June 2025, according to reports on his recent record. Opetaia last fought in September, when he stopped Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round. He has been stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title after signing with Zuffa Boxing, according to one...