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6 months ago
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The highly anticipated cruiserweight rematch between Jai Opetaia and Mairis Briedis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia promises to be the biggest fight of the year for Aussie boxing fans.
The 28-year-old Aussie pugilist will be eager to get another win over the man who broke his jaw in two places the last time they met - but still couldn't beat him.
Opetaia currently holds The Ring cruiserweight belt, but no longer holds the IBF title after vacating it in 2023.
The unbeaten southpaw has looked outstanding in his last two outings, while the hard-hitting 39-year-old Briedis has been inactive.
'It's a really tough fight, I've got to be honest. The first fight, if you watch it back, it was a war. It was a close fight,' promoter Eddie Hearn to said.
The cruiserweight rematch between Aussie Jai Opetaia (pictured) and Mairis Briedis is just days away in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Latvian Briedis (pictured) broke the Aussie's jaw the last time the pair met in the ring - but still couldn't get the win
'Briedis broke Jai Opetaia's jaw in two places. He showed unbelievable heart that night. He came through and got the points victory. It was a Fight of the Year contender.
'A couple of years on, I believe that Jai has gotten better. I feel like his confidence is through the roof now. What Briedis has left, he's going to have a really big roll of the dice.'
Here's everything you need to know about the fight that could make Opetaia one of the biggest names in the fight game.
The pair will fight for the vacant IBF strap and Opetaia's Ring belt (pictured, action from the pair's first bout in
When is Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis?
The fight will take place in the early hours of Sunday, May 19 (AET).
The bout for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title is on the undercard of the hotly anticipated clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
The main card will begin at 2am (AET) with ring walks for Fury and Usyk scheduled for 8am - so Opetaia and Briedes should fight in the hour beforehand.
This is the second date the bout has been fixed for as it had to be pushed back after originally being scheduled for February.
Opetaia is is coming off back-to-back knockout victories and is the favourite to recapture his cruiserweight world crown in front of some of the biggest movers and shakers in boxing
Where is Opetaia vs Briedis?
The rematch between the two will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
How you can watch the bout
For boxing fans around the world, the titanic clash will be broadcast live on DAZN PPV.
The price to watch the fight in Australia will be $34.99.
English (US)