Jai Opetaia Next Fight – Purse Bid Scheduled for Mandatory Challenger

Jai Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) has dazzled throughout his professional career, remaining undefeated with a series of stoppage wins. He has also shown toughness, including two bruising victories over Latvian fighter Mairis Briedis. Opetaia has made it clear he wants unification fights, but the IBF has now scheduled a purse bid for Aug. 26 for his mandatory IBF cruiserweight title defence against Huseiyn Cinkara (23-0, 19 KOs).

Jai Opetaia Next Fight – IBF Orders Purse Bid

Opetaia Faces Mandatory Challenger Cinkara on August 26

Talks between the camps of Opetaia and Cinkara have failed to yield a deal, so the IBF has now scheduled purse bids for August 26. The option still remains that the teams can make a deal up to 15 minutes before bids are unsealed at 12 p.m. ET. If the bid does proceed, it will be a 65-35 split in favour of Opetaia, the  lineal/IBF cruiserweight champion.

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Opetaia vs Cinkara was due to take place on January 8 at Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Australia. However, Cinkara withdrew from the bout due to an ankle injury sustained in training. He was then replaced by 2020 Olympic bronze medalist David Nyika, whom Opetaia brutally stopped in the fourth round. The Aussie was last seen in action stopping Claudio Squeo in the fifth round of their fight earlier this year.

Huseiyn Cinkara and Opetaia’s Main Target

Cinkara has mixed at a considerably lower level than Opetaia but is undefeated. Following a year out of the ring, he returned to action, stopping Juan Diaz in the first round. Going from Diaz to Opetaia is a huge step up, with the Aussie chasing a three-belt unification fight with WBO/WBA titlist Gilberto Ramirez.

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But with “Zurdo” out injured for the remainder of 2025 due to shoulder surgery, Opetaia is having to deal with his mandatory.