Deontay Wilder to Fight on Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua Card, Full Details Announced

Next month's highly anticipated Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight card on Netflix just got a big boost in star power.

Ring Magazine announced on Wednesday that former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will be in action on the Dec. 11 undercard against undefeated Australian slugger Jai Opetaia.

Wilder most recently earned a split-decision victory over Derek Chisora in April, improving his record to 45-4-1. When he enters the ring against Opetaia next month, it will be the first time he's fought twice in a single year since 2019. The 41-year-old has a storied history with the two main-event fighters, with an epic trilogy against Fury and a longstanding rivalry with Joshua due to their fight never coming to fruition.

Conversely, Opetaia has already fought twice this year, following up a unanimous decision win in March with a ninth-round TKO victory over Noel Mikaelian in September to improve to 31-0. The 31-year-old currently holds the Ring and Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight titles. He was stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title when he debuted for Zuffa Boxing earlier this year.

ESPN previously reported that Opetaia had been eyeing "a heavyweight cameo" against Wilder before a "potential unification clash" against WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion David Benavidez next May. However, Oleksandr Usyk's return to the cruiserweight division could change those plans, as he's eyeing the vacant IBF title before challenging Benavidez himself.

It was noted that Opetaia "could still win back his IBF strap in the courtroom and earn a date with Usyk he's coveted since competing at the same 2012 London Olympics when the Australian was barely 17."

First, Opetaia will have to focus on getting past Wilder, who is one of the greatest knockout artists of all time.