Deontay WildervsJai Opetaia

Deontay Wilder against Jai Opetaia is the co-main event of the Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua card at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Friday 11 December 2026, live worldwide on Netflix. It puts one of the biggest punchers in heavyweight history against an unbeaten cruiserweight moving up a division, and it was confirmed by Netflix and Dana White's Zuffa Boxing on 4 November.

The fighters

Wilder, 41, held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and has a record of 45-4-1 with 43 knockouts. After losing four of five fights between 2020 and 2024, including two of his three against Tyson Fury, he has won his last two: a seventh-round stoppage of Tyrrell Herndon in June 2025 and a split decision over Derek Chisora at The O2 in April 2026.

Opetaia, 31, is 31-0 with 24 knockouts. The Australian southpaw won the IBF and Ring cruiserweight titles in 2022, lost the IBF belt outside the ring twice, and now holds the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title. He stopped Noel Mikaelian in nine rounds in Las Vegas in September. His last fight at heavyweight was in 2017.

Size against speed

Wilder is 6 ft 7 in with an 83-inch reach; Opetaia is 6 ft 2 in with a 76-inch reach. Opetaia is almost ten years younger and has been the busier fighter, with three wins in the last twelve months, while Wilder has fought once in 2026.

How it was made

Dana White, whose Zuffa Boxing promotes Opetaia, said in October that the fight was being worked on, and on 1 November it was reported as agreed but not yet signed. Wilder had been linked with Oleksandr Usyk after beating Chisora, but that fight did not happen. Netflix made Wilder v Opetaia official on 4 November, adding it to a card that sold out in under an hour in October.