Wilder vs Opetaia Set as Fury-Joshua Co-Main Event in Cardiff

The undercard for the biggest fight of the year has its first blockbuster. Deontay Wilder will face 31-0 cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia in the co-main event of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua, UFC chief Dana White confirmed on Wednesday morning, with the all-British heavyweight showdown set for Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11, live on Netflix. Opetaia will move up to heavyweight for the clash against one of the most feared punchers in boxing history. Wilder, the former WBC heavyweight champion, has not fought since a split-decision win over Derek Chisora in London in April, having previously been in talks to face Oleksandr Usyk. Opetaia, meanwhile, is in a legal battle with the IBF after being stripped of his cruiserweight world title earlier this year. White, announcing the fight on social media, pointed to the combined knockout power on show, with the two men sharing 67 knockouts between them. It is the first undercard bout officially announced for Fury vs Joshua, and it sets the tone for what promoters hope will be a stacked night. A cruiserweight champion stepping up against a former heavyweight champion is exactly the kind of crossroads fight that captures the imagination, and December 11 now has a co-main event worthy of its headliner.