In the main support match for Fury vs. Usyk, Australian boxer Jay Opetaia defeated Mairis Briedis by unanimous decision (28-3, 20 KOs) to advance to the vacant IBF cruiserweight title with a 2-2 win. won the world title.
Throughout the fight, 39-year-old Mairis Briedis appeared to be one step behind. Going into his second fight with Opetaia, Bridis had to overcome his two major obstacles: his inactivity and his father's time.
In the opening round of their IBF cruiserweight championship bout, Mairis Briedis used a lot of lateral movement but few punches. Jay Opetaia used his punches well while throwing jabs and landing the occasional shot to the body.
Opetaia quickly increased his punch output in the second round, landing a sharp left hand. Later in the same round, Opetaia landed a big right hook on Briedis and followed it up with a sharp combination.
Over the next few rounds, Opetaia continued to dictate the pace of the fight. In the sixth round, Opetaia landed a series of powerful shots with his left hand that caused Bridis' nose to begin bleeding.
Opetaia continued to control the fight using his jab, landing left hands and occasional shots to the body. Through nine rounds of boxing, Opetaia appeared to be heading for victory.
The drama finally unfolded in the 10th round, when Opetaia landed a big left hand and Briedis landed an uppercut that knocked Opetaia unconscious. Bridis noticed blood pouring from his opponent's nose and continued to press forward and land power shots.
Bridis destroyed Opetaia on the back foot in the 11th round and was a rejuvenated fighter. Briedis started the 12th and final round with a powerful one-two combination.
The 39-year-old knew he needed a knockout to win the championship fight, so he kept fighting on the front foot.
Mairis Briedis showed the heart of a champion and did not give up while putting together a very impressive rally. Unfortunately for Briedis, it wasn't enough and Hyopetaia earned a unanimous decision victory with scores of 117-111, 116-112, 116-112.
Currently, Jay Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) is a two-time IBF cruiserweight world champion. Jay Opetaia expects his next fight to be a unification bout and thinks he can win more belts in his future.
