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Notebook: After all that, Opetaia, Briedis will fight again for IBF title

Notebook: After all that, Opetaia, Briedis will fight again for IBF title

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Dan Rafael
Jan 17, 2024
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Fight Freaks Unite
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Notebook: After all that, Opetaia, Briedis will fight again for IBF title
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Mairis Briedis Jai Opetaia
Jai Opetaia (right) and Mairis Briedis slugged it out in 2022
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Lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia and Mairis Briedis will meet in a rematch that will also be for the vacant IBF belt that Opetaia was essentially forced to vacate in December.

The sequel will take place on the undercard of the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undisputed heavyweight title fight pay-per-view on Feb. 17 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sources with knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite.

Opetaia was left with little choice but to vacate the IBF belt (he would have been stripped anyway) going into his fight against Ellis Zorro, who he spectacularly knocked out in the first round on the massive “Day of Reckoning” card on Dec. 23 in Riyadh.

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Make sure to check out the 2023 Fight Freaks Unite award stories

  • Prospect of the year

  • Fighter of the year

  • Fight of the year

  • Knockout of the year

  • Female fighter & fight, round, trainer, more


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