Deontay Wilder will face unbeaten Australian Jai Opetaia in one of the main bouts on the fight card featuring Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The boxing show will take place on December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, and the clash between Wilder and Opetaia has already been designated as a co-main event.
Forty-one-year-old Wilder is a former World Boxing Council heavyweight champion. The American has 45 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, with 43 of his victories coming by knockout or technical knockout. His most recent fight was in April, when he defeated Derek Chisora by a split decision.
For Opetaia, this will be his first professional bout in the heavyweight division. The 31-year-old Australian has so far competed at cruiserweight, where he won the vacant “regular” World Boxing Association world title. In September, he defended his position against Noel Mikaelian, whom he defeated by technical knockout. Opetaia is unbeaten with 31 wins from 31 fights, 24 of them by knockout or technical knockout.
“The co-main event is officially set. These two fighters have a combined 67 knockouts. You do not want to miss this fight,” Dana White announced, as quoted by BoxingScene. The total is made up of Wilder’s 43 knockouts and Opetaia’s 24.
The fight will bring together on one stage a former heavyweight champion and the current leader of the cruiserweight division, who is making the move up to the heavier division. For Opetaia, this will be his first test against an opponent from the heavyweight division, while Wilder will return to the big stage following his victory over Chisora.
In the main event of the evening, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will meet in an all-British heavyweight clash. The rest of the card has not yet been fully announced.