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Jake Michaels
Australian world champion Jai Opetaia will put his IBF cruiserweight world title on the line for a fourth time this evening when he battles German veteran Huseyin Cinkara on the Gold Coast.
The 30-year-old Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) took hold of the crown for a second time in mid-2024 after prevailing on points in a rematch against Latvia’s Mairis Briedis. Since then, he has successfully defended his title on three occasions, with each fight ending in a mid-round stoppage.
“This is the star and he is a once-in a-generational fighter,” said Opetaia’s manager Mick Francis ahead of the showdown with Cinkara 23-0 (19 KOs). “There’s bigger things to come, but he’s the most feared fighter in the world. Forget about divisions, he’s the most feared fighter in the world… all of these guys are ducking.”
Opetaia headlines a stacked card that includes former world champion Jason Moloney as well as heavyweight Teremoana Jnr, Max McIntyre, and Ben Mahoney.
Follow all of the action from the Gold Coast Convention Centre with ESPN’s live blog of fight night: