Joseph Parker's heavyweight bout against American Deontay Wilder has been confirmed, with the two to square off in Saudi Arabia on December 23.
Parker, 31, will face former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder, 38, in Riyadh as part of a stellar fight card headlined by Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin, and also sees compatriot Junior Fa against Frank Sanchez.
Parker (26 wins, three losses) will return to the scene of his last contest, knocking out Simon Kean in the third round of their fight in Riyadh as part of the Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou undercard last month.
The win was Parker's third straight victory since his KO loss to Englishman Joe Joyce last September.
Wilder (43-2-1) hasn't fought since his first-round demolition of Robert Helenius in New York City last October - his first and only fight after losing successive championship bouts against Fury in October 2021.
The Alabama native held the WBC title for five years, during which he cemented a well-earned reputation as one of the most powerful punchers on the planet.
The 38-year-old would represent an enormous step up in quality for Parker, who has struggled to recapture the form that saw him win the WBO world title back in 2016.
Parker is currently ranked as the fourth contender in the IBF heavyweight standings, sixth in the WBO, and 10th in the WBC.
Conversely, Wilder is ranked first by the WBC and WBA, as well as fifth by the WBO.
