IBF cruiserweight and Ring Cruiser champion Jay Obitaya will fight IBF No. 10 ranked replacement opponent David Nyika on January 8 in a card being promoted at Matchroom at the Gold Coast Convention Center in Broadbeach. Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that Nyika would be Opetaia’s opponent.
2020 Olympic bronze medalist Nika (10-0, 9 KOs) will replace IBF No. 1 Hussein Sinkara on short notice. Sinkara withdrew from the January 8th match against Opetaia due to an ankle injury.
Opetaia can be broken
Niyika must follow Mairis Briedis’ scheme to give Opetaia nightmares with constant pressure. In their second fight, we saw that Obitaya hates taking pressure and becomes unglued when he starts taking damage to his face. Briedis unmasked Opetaia in a losing effort.
Three-year-old pro Niyika, 29, works best because he’s from New Zealand, which makes it even more interesting for Opetaia’s Australian fans, as the two countries are close. The fight will go well for the Australians and New Zealanders.
“I trained hard to get this card, and when the opportunity to face Jay came up, I jumped at it,” Nika said. Stuff.co.nz. “This is the moment every fighter dreams of, and I support the entire nation of New Zealand.
“I know how hard Jay is, but I’m ready for this challenge. This is my chance to change my life, and I’ll leave it all in the ring.
Bivol-esque challenge
It will be interesting to see how Niyika handles Jai Opetaia’s power, speed, and two-way skills. Since turning pro in 2021, he has been battling raw opposition. At the 2020 Olympics, Nika was beaten by Russian Muslim Gadzhimagomedov 4-1. It wasn’t close.
Most recently, Nika defeated 38-year-old Tommy Karpense via third-round knockout on September 15. It is unclear why Niyika’s management did not move him on at a faster rate, given his extensive amateur experience. It is a waste of time to bring in a former amateur star like Niyika and it has been done slowly. He should have fought the killers already.
In his three years in the game, he has not gained anything except a top ten ranking in the IBF and a title as an alternate contender. Without these, Nika could be spinning his wheels, toiling in obscurity for the next three to five years, as he grows older.
There are no real big names in the weight class other than Jay Obitaya, but he is not a household name in most parts of the world. The division needs bigger names and fighters who can sell. However, Opetaia vs Niyika will do well in their respective countries.
What a battle – Australia vs New Zealand closed!!!! Great respect for @davidnika To step up and you know what @jaiopetaia1 It is everything! See you on the Gold Coast on January 8! @daznboxing #OpetaiaNyika @tasmanfighters 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/oF356wY2Zo
– Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) December 18, 2024
DAZN Card for January 8th
Jay Obitaya vs. David Nika
Judge Honey Vs. Sean Potgieter
Ben Mahoney vs. Fan Zhang
Austin Okoso vs. Habib Ahmed
Max McIntyre vs. Abdul Salam Samaan
Billy McAllister vs. Jordan Towns
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