In a thrilling showdown at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jai Opetaia successfully defended his IBF cruiserweight title against Mairis Briedis in a hard-fought battle that went the distance.
Opetaia, the top-ranked cruiserweight by ESPN, faced a formidable challenge from Briedis, who staged a late surge in the fight. Despite being hurt in Round 10 and conceding the final three rounds on all scorecards, Opetaia managed to secure a unanimous decision victory with scores of 117-111, 116-112, and 116-112.
The Australian boxer, with a record of 25-0 and 19 knockouts, had previously lost his title in December due to opting for a lucrative bout with Ellis Zorro instead of facing Briedis in a mandatory rematch. However, Opetaia's decision paid off as he scored a spectacular first-round knockout against Zorro and then agreed to the rematch with Briedis.
Both fighters displayed immense courage and determination throughout the match, with Opetaia acknowledging Briedis' toughness and relentless pursuit of victory. Despite sustaining a broken jaw in their first encounter, Opetaia managed to outbox Briedis once again, although both fighters ended up with broken noses in this intense rematch.
Following his hard-earned victory, Opetaia expressed his desire to unify the cruiserweight division by targeting the winner of the upcoming WBO title fight between Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe on June 15. With ambitions to collect all the 200-pound belts, Opetaia is poised to continue his quest for dominance in the division.
Opetaia's triumph sets the stage for future exciting matchups in the cruiserweight division, as fans eagerly anticipate his pursuit of further unification and championship opportunities.
