Jai Opetaia: record, next fight and profile →
By Jake Donovan - The sport’s reigning lineal cruiserweight champion has spent the past several months trolling a YouTube star for his next payday. Mairis Briedis has finally ditched the act—to a degree—for the actual challenge that awaits him in a division where he is already the king.
Mairis Briedis once again arrived comfortably inside the cruiserweight limit for a title fight. The three-time and defending IBF cruiserweight titlist arrived at a fit and ready 199 pounds (translated from his announced weight of 90.3 kg.) for his title defense versus Sydney’s Jai Opetaia (21-0, 17KOs) this Saturday on the road at Gold Coast Convention Centre in the Gold Coast suburb of Broadbeach, Australia. Opetaia was well under the limit, sporting the bottom half of a track suit as he hit the scales at a ripped and lean 198.4 pounds (90 kg.) for his first title challenge.
It was an introduction befitting of a champion as IBF Cruiserweight king Mairis Briedis (28-1, 20 KOs) was welcomed to Thursday’s press conference, as the champion spoke ahead of his title clash with undefeated Jai Opetaia (21-0, 17 KOs) at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Australia on Saturday.
The show will finally go on for Mairis Briedis. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that a new date is assigned to Briedis’ second defense of his lineal/IBF cruiserweight championship versus mandatory challenger Jai Opetaia. The twice-postponed bout will now take place July 2 at the originally targeted location of Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.
Mairis Briedis has encountered another delay ahead of his next title defense. The May 11 date set aside for Briedis’ second defense of his lineal/IBF cruiserweight championship versus mandatory challenger Jai Opetaia is no longer in play, as the fight has suffered a second postponement. A rib injury suffered by Opetaia during training camp forced the unbeaten contender to withdraw from their planned title fight at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Gold Coast suburb of Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.
As BoxingScene.com previously reported, Mairis Briedis (28-1, 20 KOs) will defend his IBF and Ring Magazine World Cruiserweight Titles against undefeated mandatory challenger Jai Opetaia (21-0, 17 KOs) on Wednesday May 11 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.
Mairis Brieidis is once again healthy and armed with a new fight date. The reigning lineal/IBF cruiserweight champion is back on track to proceed with his mandatory title defense versus unbeaten Jai Opetaia. The rescheduled bout will take place May 11 at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Gold Coast suburb of Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia. The fight was pushed back by five weeks after Briedis (28-1, 20KOs) had to withdraw from the previously announced April 6 date after testing positive for Covid.
Mairis Briedis has his next fight lined up, though a lower profile affair than the reigning cruiserweight king hoped to be the case. Up next for Latvia’s Briedis is a mandatory IBF cruiserweight title defense versus unbeaten Jai Opetaia. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the bout will take place April 6 at a location to be determined in his challenger’s native Australia. The exact venue is expected to be announced in the coming days.
WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie is shaking his head at the recent stunt by IBF champion Mairis Briedis. A few days ago, Briedis posted a video where he entered a tattoo parlor and was inked with a Jake Paul tattoo - to bait the social media star to a fight.
Kalle Sauerland, promoter for IBF cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis, admits he was shocked when his boxer posted a video to social media - which showed the titleholder getting a tattoo to antagonize social media star Jake Paul.