Jake MichaelsDec 6, 2025, 11:53 PM

CloseJake Michaels is a Melbourne-based sports writer who has worked for ESPN since 2013. He primarily writes on the AFL, but his assignments have taken him all around the world, covering everything from Formula One to Grand Slam tennis, championship boxing to international basketball, and the Olympic Games.

Australian IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia claimed he fought like “s—” in his latest title defence, and yet he still ended the bout with one of the most devastating knockouts of 2025.

Fighting at the Gold Coast Convention Centre against Turkish-German challenger Huseyin Cinkara, Opetaia recovered from an early shot to the head and cut under his right eye to deliver a monster eighth-round knockout. Opetaia threw a vicious left-hand shot that went straight through Cinkara’s defences and instantly put him to sleep.

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There was serious concern for Cinkara in the immediate aftermath of the fight as the 40-year-old veteran lay unconsciousness on the canvas for several minutes. He eventually regained consciousness and was helped to a stool by his trainer before ring formalities were completed.

“I feel like I just fought like s—, to be honest,” said Opetaia in the ring after delivering the most brutal knockout of his career and improving to 29-0 (23 KOs), despite opening the door to Cinkara in the early rounds. “You get these nights. We go back to the drawing board. I’m very disappointed in myself, I feel like I’ve let some people down with that performance. I made a lot of mistakes. I’m so pissed off.”

Opetaia may be disappointed with his latest performance, albeit in victory, but he did enough to continue his ascension in the sport and division.

The next logical step for the 30-year-old is a shot at unifying his belts. Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, owner of the WBO and WBA straps, is the man he is desperate to fight, but the Mexican is set to battle American David Benavidez next May. Meanwhile, Swedish-born Badou Jack, who boxes out of Las Vegas, will put his WBC belt on the line in a highly anticipated rematch with Noel Mikaelian in Los Angeles on December 13.

Australia’s Jai Opetaia delivered a devastating knockout in his latest title defence. Matt Roberts/Getty Images

“We want the unification fights,” said Opetaia. “We want Ramirez. I’ve been asking for them for a long time. F—ing watch this space.”

The co-main event of the evening was taken out by the ever impressive 21-year-old Max McIntyre, who stopped Jed Morris in the fourth round of their super middleweight fight to move to 9-0.

Earlier in the night, rising Australian heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana scored his fourth consecutive first-round win, this time against Mexico’s German Garcia Montes. Meanwhile, former bantamweight world champion Jason Moloney got the job done against Herlan Gomez of the Philippines to record his first win in almost two years.

Here’s how fight night at the Gold Coast Convention Centre unfolded: