Jai Opetaia doesn’t just want to succeed Oleksandr Usyk’s throne. He wanted to defeat this man himself.
Oppetaya may very well be the best lightweight in the world today.Australia’s Mairis Brieidis takes on Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in their IBF world title fight on Saturday The undercard rematch, broadcast live sky sports box office.
Opetaia plans to unify the other lightweight champions, but he’s eager to fight Usyk, the former undisputed champion of the division.
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“I would love to fight Usyk,” Opetaia told sky sports. “I’ve been following Usyk for a long time. I was a 17-year-old kid at London 2012 and he won the Olympics. I’ve been in the shadows, I’ve been very close and now I’m starting to get into my prime.
“I’m not a little kid anymore. Now they know. I’m on their radar. It’s a good feeling. He’s always been in the position I’ve been in. He’s always been the No. 1 seed, so to get one Fighting with him – I would be happy.
Opetaia doesn’t blink when he sets his sights on you. He speaks with an unwavering tone and has been training with exceptional ferocity in the final days leading up to his world title fight in Riyadh.
This week he allowed sky sports Had the privilege of visiting him at work in the gym. This wasn’t an easy shuffle, it was a relentless drill where he practiced his footwork over and over before hitting the bag and riding the mat with power punches. He worked to the limit and had his second training session that day.
Not only is this such an in-depth look into an elite fighter’s preparation, but it’s remarkable for Opetaia to go through the routine so close to a big fight.
“I don’t know why they have these tapering weeks. We are preparing for 12 tough rounds,” Oppetaya explained. “This is what I’m used to, this is what my body needs, my mind needs. I need to stay active.”
This rematch with Brady will undoubtedly be tough. The first game was brutal, with Opetaia beating the Latvian despite having his chin double-folded during the fight.
“I’m expecting a tough fight, I’m expecting a 12-round war and if it’s less than that I’ll be disappointed,” he said.
“If I have to break my jaw again and move on, so be it. That’s all I need.”
These qualities, his courage, strength and especially his outstanding southpaw footwork, led Tyson Fury to invite Opetaia as a sparring partner in preparation for Usyk.
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He described his experience with Fury: “It was good to adapt to the new style. It was a great little chess tournament. I learned a lot from it. When I went there, my focus was on getting out of there. , because I know we mean it.
“I think in this game we’re going to see a version of Fury that we haven’t seen in a long time. A hungry Fury. A Fury who can be beaten if he doesn’t perform well and he knows it,” Oppetaya added road.
“So I feel like he’s going to be the best prepared he’s been in a long time to win this game. He’s confident he can win the last few games.
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Usyk has been tight-lipped about his stance on Fury, but he did reveal that he has a big plan!
“He knows his boxing IQ is better than a lot of the fighters he’s been fighting. He relies on that. This guy, he can’t rely on that natural ability, he’s got to put in the work as well and I feel like we’re going to see As arrived.
“He’s proven himself time and time again, people always underestimate him and he keeps proving them wrong.
“So I’m excited to watch this game.”
It’s one of the biggest sporting events in a generation. Tyson Fury and Alexander Usyk Live on Saturday, May 18 for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world sky sports box office. Book a fight now.
