The co-main event for the heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua on December 11, 2026, has been confirmed: undefeated cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will move up to heavyweight to face former champion Deontay Wilder in a 12-round bout.
The fight was announced on November 4, 2026, by Saudi Arabian financier Turki Alalshikh and Zuffa Boxing's Dana White. The main event, billed as the biggest boxing match in British history, will take place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and stream live worldwide on Netflix.
White highlighted the combined knockout power: Wilder has a 95% knockout rate with 43 knockouts in 45 wins, while Opetaia is 31-0 with 24 knockouts, giving them a combined 67 knockouts. Opetaia, a 2012 Australian Olympian and southpaw, stands 6-foot-2 and will give up four inches in height and seven inches in reach to the 41-year-old Wilder.
Opetaia formerly held the IBF cruiserweight title before being stripped after signing with Zuffa Boxing earlier in 2026. He won the inaugural Zuffa title by outpointing Brandon Glanton in March and stopped WBC titleholder Noel Mikaelian in September. Wilder, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, captured the WBC heavyweight title in 2015 and defended it 10 times before losing twice to Fury. After consecutive losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, Wilder rebounded with wins including a split decision over Derek Chisora in April 2026.
The event is promoted by Saudi entertainment company Sela in association with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions and Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Sport. Zuffa Boxing will produce the event for Alalshikh and The Ring after a legal battle moved the fight from New York's Madison Square Garden to the UK.
