Jai Opetaia Defends IBF Title with KO Victory Over David Nyika

Jai Opetaia successfully defended his IBF cruiserweight title with a dominant fourth-round knockout over David Nyika in a thrilling bout at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Queensland, Australia. Opetaia, 29, floored the New Zealand challenger, Nyika with an uppercut in the fourth round. Although Nyika, also 29, rose to his feet, Opetaia followed up with a powerful left hook that ended the fight leaving Nyika in need of medical attention. Despite the defeat, Nyika received applause from the 6,000-strong crowd for his bravery in taking the fight on short notice.

Opetaia, who remains unbeaten with a 27-0 professional record, praised Nyika for stepping up to the challenge. “He came here to fight. He gave me a dogfight. I respect that,” said the Sydney-born champion. Looking ahead, Opetaia expressed his desire for a unification bout against Mexico’s WBA and WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez. Additionally, promoter Eddie Hearn suggested Opetaia could eventually move up to heavyweight for a potential clash with world champion Oleksandr Usyk, believing Opetaia is the only fighter who could give Usyk a serious challenge.

Meanwhile, the fight electrified the Gold Coast after an early lightning strike caused a brief power outage. Despite this setback, the high-paced battle saw both fighters exchange heavy shots in the opening rounds. However, Nyika’s lack of experience at the world level soon became evident as Opetaia’s skill and power took over. The first knockdown in the fourth round was a sign of things to come with Nyika unable to recover from the onslaught. Jai Opetaia now turns his attention to unifying the cruiserweight division, chasing the WBA and WBO titles.