Deontay Wilder will make his return to the big stage on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua on December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

This announcement is the first official reveal of any fights on the undercard of the all-British heavyweight world title fight, and it will serve as the co-main event.

The news was officially confirmed on Tuesday when Dana White took to X to make the announcement.

Deontay Wilder to face Jai Opetaia

"BOOOOOM!!!! Wilder vs Opetaia is OFFICIAL in Cardiff, Wales," White wrote in his tweet. "Wilder has a 95% knockout rate and Opetaia is undefeated 31-0. is LIVE on December 11th on Netflix"

Wilder faces the undefeated former IBF cruiserweight champion, who is making his heavyweight debut against one of the most devastating punchers the division has ever seen.

Opetaia last fought Noel Mikaelian in defense of his Ring cruiserweight title, stopping the former WBC champion inside seven rounds to move to 31-0 with 24 KOs. There has been a lot of conversation surrounding Opetaia's future in the cruiserweight division, as the young Aussie has had a fraught relationship with the sanctioning bodies.

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

The IBF stripped him of his title on two separate occasions; the first was for not fighting his mandatory defense and taking a much healthier payday in Saudi Arabia to fight Ellis Zorro. The second was this year, after he became the second big-name fighter to sign with Dana White's Zuffa boxing.

It is a surprise to see Opetaia move up to heavyweight now, as just a few months ago he was adamant about his dream of unifying the cruiserweight division. Instead, he will take on a man a decade his senior who hasn't touched a title in over six years.

Wilder has lost four of his last seven fights, including two losses to Tyson Fury and losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, which derailed a potential fight with Joshua in 2024. He has, to give him credit, won his last two fights so there is a possible claim that the 'Bronze Bomber' is rebuilding his confidence, but those wins were against Tyrrell Herndon and an aged Derek Chisora.

The American will be hoping that a win against a bona fide champion like Opetaia might help him put his title ambitions back on track, as he mentioned earlier this week WBA 'Regular' title holder Murat Gassiev was also on his hit list.

Does this mean Opetaia vs David Benvaidez won't happen?

While it certainly means it will not happen this year, it doesn't mean it will not happen next year or the year after. Opetaia is a natural cruiserweight and could more than likely make the weight again if enough money and titles were put on the table - all things that Benavidez could provide.

With the IBF belt currently vacant, Benavidez is the de facto king of the cruiserweights holding the WBO and WBA belts and is scheduled to fight the recently elevated for his WBC strap on December 5.

Therefore, if Opetaia is making no major inroads towards a heavyweight title, and if Benavidez has his hands on three or maybe even four cruiserweight belts, then the super fight everyone has been asking for could well get made.