Jai Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) was furious with his performance on Saturday, a battered, worn-out IBF cruiserweight champion, despite knocking out the challenger. Huseyin Cinkara (23-1, 19 KOs) in the eighth round at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, in Australia.
It was supposed to be a massacre for Opetaia in his defense against the unproven 40-year-old #1 contender Cinkara, but it turned out to be a more brutal fight than he expected. Cinkara caught Jai with a right hand in the second round that almost sent him to the canvas.
Opetaia stayed on his feet and instinctively grabbed Cinkara in a clinch and wouldn’t let go. He made it through the round without getting hurt again, but the damage was done. He was cut below his right eye from the hard shot from Cinkara.
Benavidez and Zurdo hit much harder
Will Opetaia be “better” back? He is 30 years old, and he did not look good in his rematch with Mairis Briedis in May 2024. Looking ahead, Opetaia’s future is not as bright as it once was. If he fights the Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs. David Benavidez winner, there is a very high possibility that he will lose.
Those two can bring it, and they are used to being involved in wars. The one punch of Cinkara that almost had Opetaia on the deck tonight will be reinforced with hundreds by Benavidez and Zurdo.
Throughout the rest of the fight, Cinkara continued to occasionally nail Jai with heavy right hands and jabs that knocked his head back. It wasn’t just the punches that landed that had fans wondering about Opetaia.
It was the way he reacted every time. He looked awkward and off balance. He looked like a fighter who wasn’t used to the give and take of battle and was mentally breaking down, dealing with someone fighting back. It is a product of being involved in too many mismatches.
“I’m very disappointed in myself. Cinkara definitely came to fight. He boxed very well. I felt like I just fought like a ***, to be honest. It was a lot of mistakes, and I’m f**** so p**** down,” Opetaia said in response to his performance in his fight against Cinkara on Saturday night.
GLORY TO GOD!
Just winning isn’t good enough, I’ll be back better I promise you! #AND STILL#UNdisputed pic.twitter.com/b0MakhHqwh— Jai Opetaia (@jaiopetaia1) December 6, 2025
Last updated on 12/06/2025
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