The IBF cruiserweight title fight between Jai Opetaia and his mandatory challenger Huseyin Cinkara is expected to be confirmed for December 6 in the Gold Coast, Australia.
They were previously on course to fight at the same venue on November 2, as had been confirmed by his manager and co-promoter Mick Francis of Tasman Fighters, but a postponement means that they will instead finally fight approaching a year after they were first scheduled to.
The 30-year-old Opetaia dramatically stopped David Nyika in January at the Gold Coast Convention Centre after Nyika replaced Cinkara when injury ruled the German out. The IBF then proceeded to order a fight between them again after Opetaia’s victory in June over Claudio Squeo and the 40-year-old Cinkara defeating, in April, Juan Diaz.
Since the IBF’s intervention Francis had speculated about a potential move to heavyweight to fight Derek Chisora or Opetaia instead fighting Britain’s Chris Billam-Smith. Cinkara is regardless on course to be Opetaia’s third opponent of 2025 before he pursues a potential unification contest with Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in 2026.
“There’s plenty of time for both teams to get ready and get this fight out of the way,” Francis previously said of the proposed date of November 2. “Hopefully Jai and Justis [Huni, the heavyweight, on the undercard] can have an opportunity towards the back end of the year to have another fight, because they both deserve it. They need it. They need to stay active; keep these guys moving.”
“We’re aiming for that, and then we’re gonna get Ramirez early next year,” Opetaia, of Australia, recently told BoxingScene.
Tasman Fighters’ promotional rivals in Australia, No Limit, are also planning for the welterweight Liam Paro – who like Opetaia has been fighting in Queensland – to swiftly follow his recent victory over David Papot with another fight before the conclusion of 2025.
