It was announced today that Ring and IBF world champion Jai Opetaia will defend his belts against mandatory challenger Huseyin Cinkara at Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, Broadbeach, Queensland, on December 6.

The two had been tabbed to face each other in January before Cinkara injured his ankle in training, forcing him out of the title fight. 2020 Olympic bronze medallist David Nyika accepted a short-notice call but suffered a vicious fourth-round knockout defeat and has since returned.

Now it's come back around and Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) is looking forward to facing Cinkara (23-0, 19 KOs) at his home away from home in an event dubbed "Ring of Fire".

"The Gold Coast Convention Centre is home turf and I won't be losing in front of my fans," Opetaia said in a statement announcing the fight. "The atmosphere is always electric on fight night and this event will be no different."

Opetaia represented his country at the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games before turning pro the following year.

The 30-year-old southpaw claimed the national and OPBF cruiserweight titles and after a lengthy wait, earned his big break when his team were able to bring Ring and IBF beltholder Mairis Briedis to Australia in July 2022. He boxed very well early and held off the Latvian's late surge to claim a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision in July 2022.

However, a badly broken jaw meant he took 14 months to recover and when returning, made easy work of British fringe contenders Jordan Thompson (TKO4) and Ellis Zorro (KO1) in September and December 2023.

The IBF stripped him for taking the latter option, rather than face a top-10 ranked contender, though he regained his old belt when again besting Briedis in the Saudi capital of Riyadh last May. A sixth-round stoppage of Jack Massey precluded his Nyika knockout, before a destructive display against Italy's then-unbeaten challenger Claudio Squeo on June 8.

Cinkara meanwhile, turned professional in 2016. The German-born fighter of Turkish extraction worked his way up on the local scene in Germany with some fights in Turkey.

His best wins have come against veterans Gusmyr Perdomo (TKO 2), Al Sands (TKO 3) and Armend Xhoxhaj (TKO 2). After recovering from his ankle injury, his career resumed with an easy first-round stoppage over Juan Diaz on April 26.

The undercard will feature the return of heavyweight contender Justis Huni after a dramatic come-from-behind win at his expense by Fabio Wardley in Ipswich on June 7.

Elsewhere, super middleweight talent Max McIntyre (8-0, 7 KOs), experienced junior middleweight contender Ben Mahoney (15-0-1, 8 KOs) and light heavyweight Jack Gregory (7-1, 4 KOs) are all slated to feature on the card against yet to be determined opponents.