Australian IBF cruiserweight boss Jai Opetaia barely cracked a smile after turning Huseyin Cinkara into a statue. Typical Opetaia. Drops one of the nastiest knockouts of the year, then knocks himself out like he’s just had a concussion at the local amateur club.
The Gold Coast Convention Center was rocked when German-based challenger Opetaia clipped early. Pretty neat shot, made the champion blink for a second. But once Opetaia settled in, he began tearing through Cinkara. Then in round eight, he exploded a left hand that went straight through Cinkara’s guard like it wasn’t even there. Afraid. Lights out. Cinkara was cold before he touched the deck.
There were immediately alarming scenes. Cinkara, 40 years old and tough as old boots, lay motionless for several minutes as the crowd fell silent. Finally he came around, sat up on the chair, still dazed, as everyone tried to calm the mood.
Opetaia didn’t hold back… on Himself
After moving to 29-0 (23 KOs), Opetaia didn’t bother putting it on. He grabs the microphone and says it straight:
“I feel like I just fought like s—, to be honest … I made a lot of mistakes, I’m so pissed.”
That’s the thing with him. The guy can level someone with a single shot and still walk back complaining like he lost his phone in the taxi. Brutal operator, brutal self-critic.
The Undercard also featured some chaos
The co-main saw 21-year-old Max McIntyre keep his hype train rolling, stopping Jed Morris in round four to push himself to 9-0. Kid looks ice cold for his age.
Earlier, heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana did what he does – another first-round demolition, his fourth in a row. Blink and you miss him. Mexico’s German Garcia Montes didn’t stand a chance.
Former bantamweight world champion Jason Moloney earned himself a much-needed win against Herlan Gomez, finally snapping a nearly two-year drought. Good to see him back in rhythm.
Last updated on 12/06/2025
