The Jai Opetaia next fight is set for January 8th, as the Ring Magazine & IBF World Cruiserweight Champions takes on mandatory challenger Hussein Cinkara.
The unbeaten Australian fighter returns to his home country for a fight for the first time since becoming world champion. Furthermore, who will Opetaia’s next fight be against after that?
Jai Opetaia Next Fight: Cruiserweight King Set For Mandatory Title Defence On January 8th
Boxing fans will be in for a treat as arguably the best cruiserweight in the world is back in action in early 2025. Jai Opetaia’s next fight has been officially confirmed, with the unbeaten Aussie powerhouse taking on IBF mandatory challenger Hussein Cinkara on January 8th in his home country.
Opetaia, who currently boasts a record of 26-0 with 20 knockouts, was last in action as he defended his Ring Magazine & IBF World Cruiserweight Titles against Britain’s Jack Massey on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol.
Opetaia defeated Massey via stoppage in Round 6 of their world title fight, with Massey’s corner throwing the towel in to save their man for another day. The 29-year-old was putting on a boxing clinic in Riyadh, further solidifying himself as the single best cruiserweight in the world.
For Jai Opetaia’s next fight against Cinkara, the Australian fighter goes in as the overriding favourite with the best UK betting sites to win. Not only is Opetaia expected to win the fight, but he is tipped to win in devastating fashion via knockout, no matter who is in the opposite corner.
Jai Opetaia’s next fight sees him taking on a fellow unbeaten fighter, who himself boasts an unblemished 22-0 record with 18 knockouts. Opetaia will need to be on his A-game to win, but is still expected to come through the fight unscathed.
Jai Opetaia could well be the best 200-pound fighter on the planet. Boxing fans will hopefully find this out once and for all in the next 12 months. All roads lead to unifications next for Jai Opetaia.
✅ CONFIRMED: Jai Opetaia will defend his IBF and Ring Magazine world titles against his mandatory challenger Hussein Cinkara on Jan. 8 in the Gold Coast live on DAZN.
🤝 Promoted by Tasman Fighters, Matchroom Boxing and Goldstar Promotions. pic.twitter.com/CszdX5SGMD
— EverythingBoxing (@EverythingBoxi2) November 20, 2024
Could Opetaia’s Next Fight Be The Zurdo Ramirez Unification Bout?
Should Jai Opetaia get past Hussein Cinkara in his next fight, he could well face Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in a huge cruiserweight unification later in the year. This seems like the obvious fight to make for the undefeated Aussie boxer, who will certainly be up for that fight if he gets past his IBF mandatory first.
Opetaia’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, would likely want to make the ‘Zurdo’ fight next for his man as well. It is most definitely a winnable fight for Opetaia, who will have his sights set on becoming undisputed king of the 200-pound division by the end of 2025.
Another option for Jai Opetaia’s next fight could be a unification with the other world cruiserweight champion too. Noel Mikaelian currently holds the WBC World Cruiserweight Title, and could be another potential opponent for Opetaia’s next fight.
If His Excellency Turki Alalshikh continues with his heavy involvement in boxing, either of these potential unifications could happen next.
The best boxing betting sites in the UK would likely favour Opetaia to beat any of the other champions at cruiserweight. However, these big fights are all meaningless if Opetaia’s next fight against Hussein Cinkara goes horribly wrong.
Time will tell who Jai Opetaia’s next fight is against after he deals with his IBF mandatory challenger. A move to heavyweight may also be an option for Opetaia in the not so distant future too, should he mop up all the belts at 200-pounds first of course.
