Lawrence Okolie Is Looking For A Unification With Jai Opetaia Next
The cruiserweight division has some fresh blood, and the most significant fight could still be on the horizon. IBF champion Jai Opetaia (22-0, 19KO) has inherited the attention of WBO champion Lawrence “The Sauce” Okolie (18-0, 14KO).
Opetaia has shaken things up with his victory over the former top champion of the division Mairis Briedis. The young man boxed beautifully and showed heart by continuing to fight with a broken jaw. Many boxing enthusiasts accredit Briedis’ demise to his spending too much time chasing fights with YouTuber Jake Paul and undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Opetaia’s upset victory has caught the attention of the entire boxing community. Okolie especially had an interest in the results of the fight as he was aiming for unification with Briedis.
A NEW OPPORTUNITY HAS ARISEN
In 2021 after running over Dilan Prasovic in three quick rounds, The Sauce took aim at wanting to fight Briedis. The former champion even showed up to the fight dressed as Mario from the famous video game series “The Mario Brothers” which was actually in response to a comment Paul made about not knowing who Briedis was. During the post-fight interview, Okolie called Briedis a clown and that he would treat him as such when they fight.
Despite the fight never happening, Okolie may still have an opportunity to make a cruiserweight unification with Opetaia. Following the Australian’s dramatic win, social media went ballistic as fans showed a desire in wanting to see the fight. The Sauce was on the same page as the fans, taking to social media calling for the fight himself.
The IBF champion will undoubtedly need time to heal from the broken jaw and enjoy some time with the family, which Okolie acknowledges in another social media post while taking a jab at Briedis.
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By: Garrisson Bland
