GOLD COAST: It was a night that will live forever in Australian boxing folklore.
Jai Opetaia, at the time a relatively unknown southpaw cruiserweight, upsetting Mairis Briedis to claim the IBF and Ring cruiserweight titles.
The victory well and truly put Opetaia on the map given Latvian Breidis had only lost one previous fight – against Ukrainian great Oleksandr Usyk.
‘Ring of Fire’: Opetaia vs Cinkara for the cruiserweight world titles on December 6 is available to order now on Stan Pay-Per-View
Jai Opetaia at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Getty
But while the unanimous points decision – with Opetaia a $2.80 underdog – was in itself memorable, it was the circumstances of it that will endure.
It emerged that a Briedis punch had severely broken Opetaia’s jaw in the second round but the proud Samoan-Australian refused to throw in the towel as he slugged his way to glory over 12 gruelling rounds.
The boxing world lauded his bravery on an iconic night but just don’t expect the man to pump up his own tyres.
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Jai Opetaia celebrates at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Getty
“Oh man, you know, it gets brought up every now and then,” Opetaia told Wide World of Sports on the eve of Saturday’s clash with Turkish-German Huseyin Cinkara.
“But to be honest, I don’t look backwards, I look forwards, you know. That was a good learning curve but I’m heading up now. I want to become undisputed champion and I’m focusing on that now.”
Opetaia also battled through the lingering effects of a badly broken left hand throughout the early stages of his unbeaten career.
Jai Opetaia at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Getty
His physical and mental toughness is legendary.
“If you’ve got a vision, a real clear vision, everything that happens in between is just noise,” former cruiserweight world champion Ted Cofie told Wide World of Sports.
“I tore my Achilles tendon on the same day I was going to do my leadership exam for my MBA. I went to the doctor, got some tablets, did my exam with my foot on a stool, and then went back and had my operation afterwards.
Ted Cofie in his heyday. Supplied
“And so that might seem like a wild moment, but my focus was on passing that exam and his focus was on winning the fight.
“You can sit back and say, ‘oh, you know, I would have won, but my jaw was broken, so I stopped.’ No, the best thing is to say, ‘I broke my jaw, I won anyway, and then I had to take six months off to repair.
“So his eye was on the prize, and this is where I think Jai is a bit different to everybody else. He’s consistently thinking about the vision, the direction, the mission that’s required to be successful, and with people like that, man, they’re hard to beat.”
WHEN AND WHERE IS OPETAIA vs CINKARA?
The Ring of Fire fight night, headlined by Jai Opetaia vs Huseyin Cinkara, is on Saturday December 6.
The event is being held at Broadbeach’s Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The prelims start at 3.30pm AEST/4.30pm AEDT.
The main card is due to get underway from 4.30pm AEST/5.30pm AEDT.
Opetaia is projected to walk to the ring at 9.40pm AEST/10.40pm AEDT.
The Ring of Fire fight card. Stan
THE FULL FIGHT CARDJai Opetaia vs Huseyin Cinkara​: IBF & The Ring World Cruiserweight titlesMax McIntyre v Jed Morris​: WBC Australasian Super Middleweight titleJake Wyllie vs Paul FlemingTeremoana Teremoana vs German Garcia MontesBenny Mahoney vs Winston Hill​: IBF Pan Pacific Super Welterweight titleJason Moloney vs Herlan Gomez​: WBC Australasian Bantamweight titleJack Gregory vs Hayden Emmerson: IBF Youth Middleweight World titleHOW TO WATCH AND WHAT DOES IT COST?
Ring of Fire will be broadcast live and exclusive on Stan Pay-Per-View.
The fight night coverage costs $50 to purchase.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
Sportsbet as of Friday had Jai Opetaia as the overwhelming favourite, paying $1.02 for victory.
Huseyin Cinkara was listed at $19 to win with the draw paying $51.
WHAT THEY SAID
Jai Opetaia: “This is a very important fight for my career and losing is not an option. I’m prepared for 12 rounds of war. Let’s do it. Cinkara’s got nothing to lose, and that makes him dangerous. But we’re prepared. Whatever he brings, we’ve got an answer to. How tough is he? Let’s find out on Saturday.”
Huseyin Cinkara: “I’ve worked very hard for this fight and I’m ready to go. Jai is the best fighter out there in the cruiserweight division. But I’ve come here prepared and with all my belief in myself, I’m going to bring it to the fight come Saturday night. We’re both going to bring our best game, and the best man will win, and that’s going to be me.”
BOXING BIOS
Jai Opetaia: The IBF and The Ring world cruiserweight champion, Jai Opetaia is a fourth generation boxer. He became Australia’s youngest-ever Olympic boxer at the age of 16, and is ranked as the No.1 cruiserweight boxer in the world by major outlets including ESPN, Boxing Base and The Ring Magazine. Holding a perfect record of 28-0 with 22 knockouts, the 30-year-old is must-see TV. This bout marks his third IBF world title defence in 2025, in his quest to unify the cruiserweight world titles with only WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and WBC champion Badou Jack left to conquer.
Huseyin Cinkara: A German-born Turkish fighter, Huseyin Cinkara (23-0, 19 KOs) is an IBF mandatory challenger. He was due to face Opetaia in January before tearing a ligament in training. This will be the first time the 40-year-old has fought outside of Europe.