Jai Opetaia vs. Mairis Briedis: Full video highlights
The highly anticipated Jai Opetaia vs. Mairis Briedis rematch took place on May 18 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This 12-round showdown was held for the vacant IBF cruiserweight championship and served as the co-main event of the evening, headlined by Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk.
Opetaia claimed a unanimous decision victory against Briedis when the pair first clashed in July 2022, taking home the IBF cruiserweight title. The 28-year-old Australian came off a first-round knockout win over Ellis Zorro last December, defending The Ring cruiserweight championship. Before that, he achieved a fourth-round TKO against Jordan Thompson. Opetaia entered the bout with an undefeated record of 24-0, including 19 wins by knockout.
Meanwhile, Briedis had been inactive since his loss to Opetaia. Before that defeat, 'The Latvian Punisher' was on a five-fight win streak, including a third-round TKO victory over Daniel Russell in December 2021. Briedis entered the rematch with an impressive career record of 28-2, with 20 wins by knockout. His only other loss came via a majority decision in a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk in January 2018.
Check out the two fighters making their ring walkouts below:
The opening round unfolded cautiously, characterized by Opetaia's proactive approach as he demonstrated remarkable lateral movement while seeking engagement.
As round five commenced, Opetaia maintained his comfort and dominance, utilizing his footwork to control the distance. In round six, a powerful left hand from the Australian appeared to break his opponent's nose. Opetaia continued to deliver punishing shots for the remainder of the round.
In the subsequent two rounds, Briedis found some success with single shots, but Opetaia absorbed them effectively. The Australian remained agile, appearing to have more in reserve.
As they entered the championship rounds, both fighters were bleeding profusely from their noses. Briedis managed to trouble Opetaia at the end of round 10 and continued to land impressive shots in round 11.
Opetaia weathered Briedis's late onslaught, and the fight went the full 12 rounds. Opetaia outpointed 'The Latvian Punisher' to secure a unanimous decision victory. One judge scored it 117-111, while the other two scorecards read 116-112 in favor of the Australian, earning him the IBF cruiserweight world title.
Check out the full fight highlights below: