Jai Opetaia Reclaims the IBF Cruiserweight Title

Jai Opetaia reclaimed the IBF Cruiserweight Championship in a decisive victory over Mairis Briedis on May 18th, 2024, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

This marks Opetaia's second reign as IBF Cruiserweight Champion, adding to his three-time title as the Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Champion. The judges' scorecards tallied 117-111, 116-112, and 116-112, all in favor of Opetaia.

The bout, scheduled for 12 rounds in the Cruiserweight division with a weight limit of 200 pounds (90.7 kg), was a unification match, putting both the IBF and Ring belts on the line.

This clash was a highlight of the undercard, preceding Tyson Fury's defeat to Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC, WBO, WBA, and IBF World Heavyweight titles. Congratulations to Jai Opetaia on this impressive victory!

Images provided by the featured individuals or sourced from their public social media profiles and online platforms. All rights remain with the original creators. Originally published in PMN+ Magazine, June 2024 (Vol. 1 No. 2).

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