Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia

Wilder vs Opetaia hospitality would sit within the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua night at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on Friday 11 December 2026, the card this fight has been linked with. As of 2 November 2026, though, Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia has not been signed or announced. Dan Rafael reported on 30 October that a deal is agreed but not yet signed. The Fury vs Joshua main event, its date, its venue and its Netflix broadcast are confirmed. No undercard bout, no opponent for Wilder, no contracted weight and no running order have been published.

Below is what has been reported, why the fight is tied to Cardiff, and how to register your interest in hospitality for the night.

What has been reported so far

• 8 October 2026: The Ring's Mike Coppinger reported that Opetaia vs Wilder was being explored for the Fury vs Joshua card.
• 10 October 2026: Dana White, who promotes Opetaia through Zuffa Boxing, told Sky Sports that Opetaia is “more than likely” to box on the undercard.
• 10 October 2026: Boxing News reported that Wilder's manager, Shelly Finkel, said they had accepted an offer to face Opetaia and were waiting to hear whether it was a go.
• 16 October 2026: Sports Illustrated reported that Rico Verhoeven had told talkSPORT he was offered Wilder for the same card and said yes, while adding: “I can't confirm just yet.”
• 19 and 20 October 2026: AAP and Boxing News reported that Opetaia had started a full fight camp at his Gold Coast base, with formal contracts still not announced.
• 28 October 2026: British Boxing News still listed the bout as “Being explored” and reported that no undercard fight had been announced.

Until the promoters announce the bout, the fair summary is that Wilder vs Opetaia is the most widely reported option for the card but is not confirmed. The full rumour trail, including the competing offers made to Wilder, is in our blog on Wilder vs Opetaia and the Fury vs Joshua undercard.

Why the fight is linked to Cardiff

Fury vs Joshua was announced on 24 September 2026 for Friday 11 December at Principality Stadium, streamed live on Netflix, as a collaboration between The Ring, owned by Turki Alalshikh, and Dana White. The announcement promised a supporting card of big names without naming any of them. White promotes Opetaia, and Sky Sports pointed out that Wilder has history with both headliners: a three-fight rivalry with Fury, and a fight with Joshua that came close to happening before Wilder lost to Joseph Parker in December 2023.

The timings for the night are still being settled. Sky Sports reported on 8 October that Cardiff Council had been asked to approve a main event ringwalk at 1am, to suit peak viewing in the United States, with representations open until 3 November and the licence change not yet secured. A co-feature normally takes place shortly before the main event, so if Wilder vs Opetaia is added in that slot it would fall late on the Friday night. Our Fury vs Joshua start time, undercard and ringwalks guide tracks the timings as they are confirmed.

The fighters

Deontay Wilder

Wilder, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is a former WBC heavyweight champion and turned 41 on 22 October 2026. His record is 45 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, with 43 knockouts, and he won a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. His last fight was a split decision win over Derek Chisora at The Arena, London, on 4 April 2026, for which he weighed 226.4lb. He stands 6ft 7in with an 83in reach. His full career is on our Deontay Wilder page.

Jai Opetaia

Opetaia, born in Sydney on 30 June 1995, is unbeaten at 31-0 with 24 knockouts. He boxed for Australia at the London 2012 Olympics and has held The Ring cruiserweight title since July 2022. In 2026 he signed with Zuffa Boxing, won its first cruiserweight title against Brandon Glanton in March, and stopped Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, on 12 September to add the WBA (Regular) belt. He stands 6ft 2in, fights southpaw, and has boxed his whole professional career at cruiserweight, so this would be his first fight at heavyweight.

The weight and what is at stake

No contracted weight has been reported. Heavyweight has no upper limit, and Wilder weighed more than 26lb above the 200lb cruiserweight limit for his last fight. No title has been reported as being on the line.

For Opetaia, the fight also sits in front of a bigger plan. He and David Benavidez agreed in the ring in Las Vegas in September to meet on Cinco de Mayo weekend in May 2027, and the WBC has since named Opetaia as the mandatory challenger for the winner of Benavidez vs Michal Cieslak on 5 December. That cruiserweight unification is covered on our Benavidez vs Opetaia event page and in our Benavidez vs Opetaia blog.

Hospitality for the night in Cardiff

Wilder vs Opetaia would be part of the Fury vs Joshua card rather than a separate event, so hospitality for the night is centred on the main event. A hospitality evening at a stadium fight night of this size generally means arriving early, dining in a lounge or suite away from the crowds, and then taking seats in the stadium bowl for the main fights. With a 1am main event ringwalk applied for, it is a long evening, and the undercard running order decides when guests need to be in their seats.

Our Fury vs Joshua event page is where to register your interest in hospitality for Friday 11 December. If Wilder vs Opetaia is the fight your guests most want to see, register your interest on this page too, with your group size, and we will contact you once the bout is confirmed and the running order is known. Our Principality Stadium guide covers the venue itself.

What to watch next

• An undercard announcement from the promoters, which would confirm whether Wilder vs Opetaia is on the card.
• Cardiff Council's decision on the 1am ringwalk application, which shapes the timings for the whole night.
• Benavidez vs Cieslak in Glendale, Arizona, on 5 December, six days earlier, which decides who Opetaia is lined up to face in 2027.

For other fights on the calendar, see our major boxing fights and high-profile undercard fights pages.

Photo credits: Deontay Wilder in 2018, by Zach Catanzareti Photo, CC BY-SA 2.0. Deontay Wilder in 2015, by Layton Dudley, CC BY-SA 2.0. Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 2022, by Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0. Anthony Joshua vs Carlos Takam at Principality Stadium, 2017, by Seth Whales, CC BY-SA 4.0.