The long-awaited IBF cruiserweight title clash between Jai Opetaia and Huseyin Cinkara is set to finally take place on December 6 in Australia’s Gold Coast. The bout had originally been slated for November 2 before a postponement forced the matchup back by more than a month.
Opetaia has already enjoyed a busy 2025. He stopped David Nyika in dramatic fashion in January, after Nyika replaced the injured Cinkara, before recording another victory in June over Claudio Squeo. Cinkara, now 40, stayed active in April by defeating Juan Diaz, leaving the IBF to insist on rescheduling the mandatory title fight.
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The Australian champion has been linked to potential showdowns beyond Cinkara, including heavyweight veteran Derek Chisora or Britain’s Chris Billam-Smith. However, his team insists the German mandatory must come first, with an eye on unification against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in 2026.
“There’s plenty of time for both teams to get ready and get this fight out of the way,” said co-promoter Mick Francis. Opetaia himself added, “We’re aiming for that, and then we’re gonna get Ramirez early next year.”
The Gold Coast card is also expected to feature heavyweight Justis Huni, while rival promoters No Limit are planning for welterweight Liam Paro to return before year’s end following his win over David Papot.
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