Deontay Wilder accepts offer to face Jai Opetaia on the Fury vs Joshua undercard

Wilder's manager says they are awaiting word on the Cardiff co-feature, and Dana White says there is "a really good chance" the fight happens.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Sat 10 Oct, 11:06 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Deontay Wilder has accepted an offer to fight Jai Opetaia at heavyweight as the co-feature on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua card in Cardiff on 11 December, his manager Shelly Finkel told Dan Rafael. Wilder's team are now waiting to hear whether the fight is on, and have also had talks about Wilder facing WBA champion Murat Gassiev. Rafael added, citing Finkel, that Oleksandr Usyk had asked for more money than Zuffa or Turki Alalshikh wanted to pay.

Dana White, who promotes Opetaia, said on the Power Slap 24 broadcast on 9 October: "There's a really good chance that Jai Opetaia fights Deontay Wilder." He added: "That would be a great fight."

White also told Sky Sports: "Jai Opetaia is more than likely going to be on the undercard. [Wilder] is one that we've been talking about and working on." Of Opetaia, he said: "The guy's willing to fight anybody. It's a very dangerous fight for him considering where he sits in his division right now. But he's a fighter; he'll fight anybody, even at heavyweight with a guy who hits as hard as Wilder does."

It would be the unbeaten Australian's first high-level fight at heavyweight, and he is expected to return to cruiserweight afterwards, where David Benavidez remains his main target. "That's the fight he really wants," White said, adding: "He wants to stay active, he wants to fight and he doesn't care if it's at heavyweight or wherever, he's ready to go."

Benavidez has his own plans. On The Ring's Inside The Ring show he said the Opetaia fight had been planned for Cinco de Mayo weekend, and that if it did not come together, "well then I'll take my business elsewhere" and "then we'll do it with Usyk", adding: "I'm actively looking to make that happen."

Wilder, 40, beat Derek Chisora on points at The O2 in London in April. Fury vs Joshua, live on Netflix, sold out on 9 October. Start times and the full card are on our Fury vs Joshua page.