Jai Opetaia returned to his homeland and emphatically defended his IBF cruiserweight title by defeating David Nyika in the fourth round at the Gold Coast Convention Center in Queensland.

Opetaia (27-0, 21 KO) entered this fight on the back of a string of wins and in his second stint as IBF champion, this time defending a systematic sixth-round stoppage of Jack Massey in October. Nyika (10-1, 9 KO) had a decorated amateur career, including an Olympic bronze medal and two Commonwealth gold medals, and progressed quickly as a professional with seven straight early wins.

Both fighters launched an attack and in an explosive second round, Opetaia landed a huge left hand that caught the Up-to-date Zealander off guard, but the challenger responded with a left hook of his own that the home favorite seemed to sense.

The 29-year-old quickly shook off this fear and began to take control, and the conclusions did not take long to come.

A right hand hit Nyika difficult and although he got the count down, he was tentative and the combination on the restart left him cool and the fight was over.

Opetaia will now likely seek to unify with the WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion, Gilberto Ramirez.

Huni knocks out Potgeiter

On the card below, Justis Huni further strengthened his credentials by defending his IBF Pan Pacific and WBO Global heavyweight titles by defeating Shaun Potgieter in the second round.

Huni (12-0, 7 KO) launched an attack that sent Potgieter (10-2, 7 KO) retreating to the corner and then releasing both arms before the referee made a wise intervention.

Undercard remaining

Max McIntyre (7-0, 6 KO) won the vacant IBF Youth super middleweight title, stopping Abdulselam Saman (8-2, 1 KO) three times in the fourth round before recording a stoppage victory in the same session.

Ben Mahoney defended the vacant IBF Pan Pacific super welterweight title by defeating Fan Zhang (8-3-1, 5 KO). Mahoney (15-0-1, 8 KO) won all ten rounds on all three cards.

Highly touted heavyweight Teremoana Jnr (6-0, 6 KO) remained the consummate professional and needed less than a round to defeat Osasu Otobo (11-2-1, 5 KO).

The meeting of the undefeated in the super lightweight category ended with the victory of Shauna Browne (5-0, 3 KO), and the Irishwoman won a split decision over ten rounds against Taylah Gentzen (6-1, 3 KO).

The only fighter in the eighth round was a featherweight, with Tony Ingram (6-1, 3 KO) losing his undefeated record in a points loss to Runqi Zhou. The judges declared Zhou (9-2-1, 3 KO) the winner with two scores of 78-74 and a third score of 77-75.

In four rounds, delicate heavyweight prospect Billy McAllister (3-0, 3 KO) scored another early victory, this time in the second round against Jordan Towns (2-3, 1 KO), and middleweight Kodi Shallali (1-1- 1 ) and Albert Tu’ua (1-1-1) could not be separated in a fight that ended in a majority draw.

In the super featherweight debut fight, Jag Guthmann-Chester (1-0) won against Jai Williams (0-1).

UFC legend Don Frye confessed that he felt like “vomiting” after Jake Paul’s fight with former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Last year, the boxing community was shocked when Tyson announced his plans to return to the professional ring.

His last official match before facing Paul was in 2005, where he lost to former Irish boxer Kevin McBride. However, he participated in an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr in 2020.

Many were concerned about Tyson’s health before the fight, but the boxing icon shared several clips of his preparations for the fight, sparking a worldwide discussion and making fans believe that he can turn back time. Unfortunately, his age showed on the night of the fight, and after the second round the 58-year-old had nothing left to offer.

Despite failing to get past the knockout, Paul won a unanimous decision in Texas. After the main event in November, prominent figures from the world of combat sports were quick to criticize the event.

Two months after the controversial showdown, people are still questioning the fight and wondering why it even happened.

In an interview with Gary Goodridge, Frye expressed his disgust for the fight, stating: “I’m telling you, buddy, that (fight) made me want to throw up. I was so disgusted that I had to go home and put on Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Jake Lamotta, Rocky Marciano. I had to watch some real fighters or I would never watch another boxing match again. It was a fraud.

After the fight, Tyson revealed on Twitter that he “almost died” before the fight, saying: “It’s one of those situations where you lost but you still won. I’m grateful for last night. I don’t regret entering the ring for the last time.

“I almost died in June. I had 8 blood transfusions. I lost half my blood and 25 pounds in the hospital and had to fight to get better to fight, so I won. My kids seeing me go head to head and finish 8 innings with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy Stadium is an experience no man could ever ask for. Thank you.

Tyson has previously mentioned that he had grave health problems on the plane, which led to the postponement of his original fight with Paul last July. He revealed: “I was in the bathroom vomiting blood. I asked the doctor: “Will I die?” He replied: “We have options.” Options? I couldn’t believe it.

“I think I had eight blood transfusions. The doctor said I had lost half of my blood. I almost died. I lost 25 pounds in 11 days. I couldn’t eat. Only fluids. Every time I went to the bathroom it smelled like tar, it didn’t even smell like shit anymore. It was disgusting.

“It threw me off [when I continued training]. All my coordination, stamina, everything was hectic on the way back. I was already at the top. I could fight him that day. Now I have to start from scratch. I just don’t give up. Sometimes I’m an asshole. I am advertising***. If I haven’t outlived my enemies, I’ve turned them into friends.”

David Morrell says he will make David Benavidez “regret every word” he said about him ahead of their lithe heavyweight fight next month.

Benavidez will defend his interim WBC crown against his former super middleweight world champion, Morrell, on February 1 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, live Amazon Prime on pay-per-view.

The pair argued and had to be separated after a near-fight during a media training session last month, with Benavidez suggesting his rival did not want to take part in VADA doping tests.

Morrell warned “Mexican Monster” that the constant back and forth gives him extra motivation and insists that the enemy has been disrespectful to him.

“He constantly called me names and disrespected my name,” the 26-year-old said.

“It doesn’t bother me because words won’t save him when we face each other in the ring.

“All this trash talk just turns me on.

“He will regret every word as I make him eat his pride, blow by blow.”

Benavidez, 28, secured the interim WBC lithe heavyweight belt in his first fight since moving up from 168 pounds won a unanimous decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June, but has since been sidelined with a hand injury.

Morrell also increased his weight by defeating Radivoje Kalajdzic in August, and the Cuban says the victory will cement his position as the best fighter in the division.

“People call him ‘The Mexican Monster,’ but I’m not afraid of monsters – I hunt them!” he added.

“He’s never fought anyone like me, and come fight night he’ll realize I’m faster, stronger and smarter than anyone he’s ever stepped into the ring with.

“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. It’s a fight that changes everything.

“The victory over Benavidez not only puts me on top, but solidifies me as one of the best fighters in the world.

“After this fight, there will be no doubt who is the king of the division.

“I am ready to accept this crown.”

The winner of Benavidez-Morrell has a chance to win the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on February 22.