IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia is about to enter the ring against rising star from New Zealand David Nyika on January 8th at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia. The 29-year-old was a last-minute replacement for original challenger Huseyin Cinkara.

Cinkara reportedly injured his ankle injury and had to pull out of the fight. However, Opetaia’s promoters managed to find him an opponent to fight, as the Aussie looks to continue his undefeated streak in the division against ‘The Nice Guy’. In the meantime, several reports have emerged revealing how much money is on the table for both fighters.

Opetaia is coming off a sixth-round knockout victory over former European cruiserweight champion Jack Massey in October 2024. Opetaia has maintained a pristine record, with 26 wins and 0 losses. Meanwhile, his opponent is making a name for himself, having defeated Pennsylvania’s Tommy Karpency in his last outing in Auckland.

Like Opetaia, Nyika remains undefeated with an impressive record of 10 wins and 0 losses. The upcoming fight will be his second 12-round bout, and the first major title fight, giving him an opportunity to skyrocket his career in the division. However, even if he doesn’t win the fight, he is set to pocket a pretty penny. 

According to Sporty Salaries and Total Sportal, Opetaia is getting the lion’s share of the purse with a 60-40 split. He will make $500k from the fight, while his opponent Nyika will go home with a $325k guaranteed purse. These payouts can be even bigger if pay-per-view buys can exceed the 600K mark. In case that happens, Opetaia would make $2 million and Nyika $850k in total. 

If you are planning to watch the card, the details about the undercard have also been revealed. 

Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika: Undercard

The entire card is made of 12 fights, which will keep the night going for hours. But here are the fights you should especially look out for. Undefeated Justis Huni will square off against Shaun Potgieter in a 10-rounder for the IBF pan-Pacific Heavyweight and WBO Global heavyweight titles. Ben Mahoney and Fan Zhang will also appear in a 10-round skirmish for the IBF pan pacific super welterweight title. 

Austin Aokuso and Habib Ahmed will vie for the IBF Pan Pacific light heavyweight title in a 10-round fight. Max McIntyre and Abdulselam Saman will go toe-to-toe for the IBF youth super middleweight title in a 10-round fight. Last but not least, Billy McAllister and Jordan Towns will lock horns in a 4-round fight.

That said, it appears January 8th is shaping up to be a blockbuster night for boxing, and the men on the main card are set to make some good money. Would you be down to watch the fight?