- Opetaia vs Briedis will take place on Sunday, May 19 (Australian time)
- The fight is a preview of the titanic battle between Fury and Usyk
- IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titles are on the line
The highly anticipated cruiserweight rematch between Jai Opetaia and Mairis Briedis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia promises to be the biggest fight of the year for Australian boxing fans.
The 28-year-old Australian boxer will be eager to get another victory over the man who broke his jaw in two places the last time they met, but still couldn’t beat him.
Opetaia currently holds The Ring cruiserweight belt, but no longer holds the IBF title after vacating it in 2023.
The undefeated southpaw has been outstanding in his last two outings, while Briedis, 39, has been inactive.
‘It’s a really tough fight, I have to be honest. The first fight, if you look back, was a war. It was a close fight,” said promoter Eddie Hearn.
The cruiserweight rematch between Australian Jai Opetaia (pictured) and Mairis Briedis is just days away in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Latvia’s Briedis (pictured) broke the Australian’s jaw the last time they met in the ring, but he still couldn’t get the win.
Briedis broke Jai Opetaia’s jaw in two places. He showed incredible heart that night. He came out ahead and got the victory on points. He was a Fight of the Year contender.
‘A couple of years later, I think Jai has improved. I feel like his confidence is through the roof now. What Briedis has left is going to be a big roll of the dice.’
Here’s everything you need to know about the fight that could make Opetaia one of the biggest names in the fighting game.
The pair will fight for the vacant IBF belt and the Opetaia Ring belt (pictured, action from the pair’s first fight in
When is Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis?
The fight will take place in the early hours of Sunday, May 19 (AET).
The fight for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title is on the undercard of the highly anticipated clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
The main card will begin at 2am (AET) with ring walks for Fury and Usyk scheduled for 8am, so Opetaia and Briedes should fight an hour earlier.
This is the second date the fight has been set for, as it had to be postponed after it was originally scheduled for February.
Opetaia is coming off back-to-back knockout victories and is the favorite to regain his world cruiserweight crown against some of boxing’s most influential players.
Where is Opetaia vs Briedis?
The rematch between the two will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
How can you watch the fight?
For boxing fans around the world, the titanic clash will be broadcast live on DAZN PPV.
The price to see the fight in Australia will be $34.99.
