CARDIFF — Rico Verhoeven has confirmed he has accepted an offer to face former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on the undercard of the Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua fixture. The event is scheduled to take place at the Principality Stadium on 11 December, though Verhoeven noted that his participation remains subject to final confirmation.
Verhoeven, 37, last competed in May, where he was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk via an 11th-round finish. Despite the result, the Dutchman’s performance was noted for its competitiveness against the favourite. Wilder, 40, enters the potential contest following a split decision victory over Derek Chisora in April.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Verhoeven stated, “We got an offer for the 11 December card. I can’t confirm just yet that I will be on the card. What I can confirm is that they offered me a fight with Deontay Wilder, and I said yes.”
While the agreement is in place from Verhoeven’s side, reports suggest that Wilder could alternatively be matched against Jai Opetaia. Opetaia is currently linked with a potential heavyweight debut on the same December date, with future plans reportedly including a cruiserweight clash against David Benavidez.