Jai Opetaia will return to the ring Sept. 30 to defend his IBF cruiserweight title against Jordan Thompson at OVO Arena Wembley in London, Matchroom Boxing announced Thursday.
ESPN’s No. 2-ranked cruiserweight, Opetaia (22-0, 17 KOs) won the title by defeating Mairis Briedis by unanimous decision in July 2022.
Opetaia, 28, is from Sydney, Australia, and is fighting outside of Australia for the first time since February 2017.
Thompson (15-0, 12 KOs), 30, a power puncher from Manchester, England, has won seven of his past eight fights by stoppage, including a sixth-round KO win over Luke Watkins on the Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov-Joe Cordina card in Cardiff, Wales, back in April.
In the co-main event, IBF junior featherweight champion Ellie Scotney makes the first defense of her title against Laura Soledad Griffa.
Scotney (7-0), 25, of London, dominated Cherneka Johnson in June to earn a unanimous decision. This is Scotney’s third consecutive fight at the OVO Wembley Arena.
Griffa (20-8, 1 KO), 37, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, started fighting professionally in 2014. This is her first title fight of her long career.
Source: www.espn.com