Dana White Wants Jai Opetaia vs Deontay Wilder on Fury-Joshua Card

Dana White has a plan to make the December 11 Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua card even heavier, and it runs through two very different heavyweights. The Zuffa Boxing boss told Sky Sports that cruiserweight standout Jai Opetaia is "more than likely" landing on the undercard, with Deontay Wilder the name being worked on across the table. Wilder carries a 45-4-1 record with 43 knockouts — the kind of punching résumé that makes any matchup a live wire.

White didn't sugarcoat the risk. He called it a very dangerous fight for Opetaia given where the 31-year-old currently sits in his division, and noted that Wilder's camp is willing to take on anyone. The upside is obvious: a former WBC heavyweight champion's name next to yours is a serious résumé boost, even in 2026.

Where Opetaia Stands

Opetaia fought roughly a month ago, stopping Noel Mikaelian inside nine rounds. White framed the Australian as a fighter who wants to stay busy in meaningful bouts — whether that's at cruiserweight or a move up to heavyweight — and conceded that chasing those kinds of fights won't always be easy to arrange.

A jump to heavyweight to share a ring with Wilder would be the most dangerous assignment of Opetaia's career, full stop. Nobody's pretending Wilder is the force that once terrified the division; the aura of being boxing's single biggest puncher has faded, and his last outing was a split-decision win over Derek Chisora rather than another highlight-reel starching.

The Bigger Picture

But reputation still sells tickets, and that's the point of stacking this card. Fury vs Joshua is a genuine event for British bragging rights — Joshua himself is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Jake Paul, sitting at 29-4 (26 KO). Bolting a Wilder appearance onto the bill gives White another marquee name and another knockout threat under the same roof.

Nothing's signed yet. White described Wilder as one of the fighters they've been talking to and working on, which is promoter-speak for a deal that still needs to get across the line. If it does, Opetaia's willingness to gamble up a weight class against a 43-knockout heavyweight becomes the undercard's most compelling subplot.