- Jai Opetaia took on Mairis Briedis for the second time on Saturday evening
- It was a classic match, with Opetaia doing just enough to win on points
Australian cruiserweight Jai Opetaia defeated Mairis Briedis for a second time to regain the IBF world title in Saudi Arabia in the co-main event for Tyson Fury’s heavyweight fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
Opetaia defeated Briedis via points decision in 2022 to win the IBF title for the first time despite suffering a broken jaw during the fight.
But he vacated his title in December after deciding to face Britain’s Ellis Zorro instead of his mandatory challenger Briedis.
They finally met again on Saturday night in Riyadh and Opetaia was the aggressor from the start, but there was little to divide the two early on.
However, Opetaia began to take over as the fight entered the middle rounds, and he bloodied his veteran Latvian opponent’s nose in the sixth round after landing a series of straight left hands from his southpaw stance.
Jai Opetaia (left) defeated Mairis Briedis for the second time on Saturday evening
Briedis suffered a nosebleed in the middle rounds as Opetaia built a lead on the scorecards
The 39-year-old Briedis, fighting for the first time since losing to Opetaia two years ago, remained a threat and started to come on strong as he pushed his rival against the ropes in the eleventh round.
He was also on top in the 12th, and when the final bell rang it was difficult to predict who would raise his hand.
However, the cards were a little wider than expected, with Opetaia taking a unanimous verdict, with two judges scoring the fight 116-112 and another giving it to Opetaia 117-111.
More to follow…
