Jai Opetaia will return to action on June 8 against Claudio Squeo at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach. The heavy-handed southpaw has steamrolled most opponents throughout his professional career while producing many knockouts. Big Fight Weekend takes you back to relive five of Opetaia‘s most memorable knockout wins.
Jai Opetaia’s Five Most Memorable Knockout Wins
David Nyika
On January 8, 2025, at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Jai Opetaia faced unbeaten New Zealander David Nyika. The challenger started well, but Opetaia quickly took control, firing back every time the New Zealander let his hands go.
Round four proved to be the end for Nyika. A flush right hand from Opetaia dropped him hard. Although Nyika beat the count, he was clearly on borrowed time. Opetaia followed up with a series of vicious hooks that sent Nyika crashing to the canvas once more, prompting the referee to wave it off immediately. It was a brutally efficient performance from the Australian.
Jack Massey
Opetaia defended his IBF cruiserweight crown against Jack Massey at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on October 12, 2024. Both fighters started light on their toes, but Opetaia’s relentless pressure soon began to overwhelm the Brit. His exceptional footwork allowed him to target the body with thudding shots before slipping out of danger.
The Aussie mixed his punches with precision, gradually breaking Massey down. With a minute remaining in round six, Massey’s trainer, Joe Gallagher, stepped in to stop the fight. The combination of sharp movement and punishing shots proved too much for the brave challenger. It was a dominating performance from Jai Opetaia.
Ellis Zorro
On December 23, 2023, Opetaia faced the unbeaten British fighter Ellis Zorro. Opetaia was stripped of his IBF world title for agreeing to this fight instead of facing mandatory challenger Mairis Briedis. The fight didn’t make it out of the first round, with Opetaia landing a huge overhand left that left Zorro flat on his back. Referee John Latham quickly stepped in to wave the fight off at 2:56 of the opening round.
Jordan Thompson
On September 30, 2023, Opetaia successfully defended his IBF cruiserweight crown against Jordan Thompson at Wembley Arena in London. The Australian started fast and controlled the fight from the opening bell, landing punches almost at will.
He dropped Thompson in round three, though the Brit somehow made it to the end of the round. Another knockdown followed early in the fourth, prompting referee Howard Foster to wave off the bout just 20 seconds into the round. A dominating performance from the Australian.
Benjamin Kelleher
At the Fortitude Music Hall in Fortitude Valley on October 22, 2020, Opetaia faced Benjamin Kelleher in a rematch of their 2018 bout that Opetaia had won. In the return fight, he controlled the distance with a sharp jab and worked smartly off it. By the sixth round, Opetaia noticeably increased the pressure, picking his shots with precision and steadily breaking Kelleher down.
After a series of unanswered punches, the referee stepped in just as the towel came in from Kelleher’s corner. The result was never in doubt, and the stoppage was another eye-catching finish from the heavy-handed Australian.
