Cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis will defend his belt against mandatory challenger Jai Opetaia on Saturday in Australia.
MAIRIS BRIEDIS (28-1, 20 KOS) VS. JAI OPETAIA (21-0, 17 KOS)
- Date: Saturday, July 2
- Time: 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m.. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, Australia
- TV/Stream: ESPN+
- Cost: $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually
- Division: Cruiserweight (200 pounds)
- Weights (on Friday): Briedis 199.0, Opetaia 198.5
- Rounds: 12
- At stake: Briedis’ IBF title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: NA
- Also on the card: Joel Camilleri vs. Koen Mazoudier, junior middleweights; Faris Chevalier vs. Conor Wallace, light heavyweights; Issac Hardman vs. Beau Hartas, middleweights; Taylah Robertson vs. Yoselin Fernandez, junior bantamweights
- Prediction: Briedis KO 9
- Background: Briedis’ second title defense against his mandatory challenger was postponed twice this year, first when the titleholder tested positive for COVID-19 and again when Opetaia was injured in training. Briedis, a three-time cruiserweight beltholder, defeated Yuniel Dorticos by a majority decision to win the IBF version of the title in the final of the World Boxing Super Series tournament in September 2020. The 37-year-old Latvian successfully defended by stopping Artur Mann in three rounds in October 2021, his most-recent fight. His only loss was to current heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk, who narrowly outpointed him in 2018. Opetaia fought in the 2012 Olympics for Australia. The 26-year-old southpaw has cruised to a perfect record but hasn’t faced anyone near Briedis’ level of ability and experience as a professional. He’s coming off a third-round knockout of countryman Daniel Russell in December 2021.
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