Jai Opetaia took a dominant win against David Nyika on January 8 at GCCEC on the Gold Coast, QLD. Making his home country ring appearance, the Australian cruiserweight successfully defended his IBF cruiserweight title against the challenger from New Zealand.
The scheduled 12-round main event bout didn’t go the full distance. Opetaia floored Nyika twice, first sending him to the canvas with a lead uppercut, and then a big left hand.
Jai Opetaia made the second successful defense of his 200-pound belt in his second reign. The 29-year-old southpaw from Sydney, New South Wales improved to 27-0, 21 KOs and remained undefeated.
David Nyika, who stepped in on short notice replacing Huseyin Cinkara, didn’t succeed in his first attempt to become champion. The 29-year-old contender from Hamilton, New Zealand dropped to 10-1, 9 KOs and suffered his first career defeat as a pro.