Jai Opetaia says he would “like to share the ring” with Dmitry Bivol if he moved as much as cruiserweight for the 2 to combat. The IBF champion Opetaia (27-0, 20 KOs) claims he’s “chasing nice fights,” and he feels {that a} conflict towards the present undisputed mild heavyweight champion Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs).
Bivol’s Controversy
Dmitry Bivol, 34, is coming off a questionable 12-round majority choice win over undisputed 175-lb champion Artur Beterbiev final month on February twenty second in Riyadh. Two of the judges for that combat had been VERY beneficiant with their scoring for Bivol, giving him a win in a conflict that ought to have been a 12-round draw or a victory for Beterbiev.
The 40-year-old Beterbiev deserved to win six rounds and beat the dwelling daylights out of Bivol within the twelfth spherical. That victory was seen by a few of Bivol being given the win for political causes.
Both manner, he seemed unhealthy operating across the ring, getting out-punched by Beterbiev, and looking out like he was on the verge of being knocked out within the twelfth spherical by the older fighter. Bivol’s face seemed prefer it had been run over by a tractor-trailer on the finish of the competition. Beterbiev’s heavy pictures did a quantity on his face.
Dream Combat?
“In fact, respectfully. I even have a variety of respect for Bivol. I might like to combat him. I might like to share the ring with him. I feel he’s a fantastic, and I might like to share the ring with a fantastic fighter,” stated Jai Opetaia to Ring Journal’s YouTube channel when requested if he could be serious about combating present undisputed mild heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
“We’re not chasing straightforward fights. We’re chasing nice fights, and I really feel that may be a nice combat. My visions are locked in on the belts. I’m chasing unification fights. Anyone that is available in between that, I’ve bought to take them out, however I’m locked into the opposite belts. I see them on the finish of the tunnel and I’m heading that manner. That’s what I would like. Let’s make it occur.”
Jai all the time talks about combating nice fighters, but he NEVER does. It’s strictly ham & eggers. You solely decide a fighter by who they really combat, and you must tune out the chirping they do about how, ‘Certainly one of as of late,’ they’ll combat nice opposition.
Opetaia, 29, hasn’t but proven that he desires to chase greatness. His resume is full of non-great fighters, and a few boxing followers consider his focus is on padding his file towards middle-of-the-road guys. The IBF cruiserweight champion Opetaia is defending towards #14 Claudio Squeo on Might thirteenth on the Gold Coast Conference Centre, Broadbeach, in Australia.
Boxing Information 24 » Jai Opetaia Eyes Conflict with Mild Heavyweight Star Dmitry Bivol
Final Up to date on 03/24/2025
