Ring and IBF champion Jai Opetaia scored his fourth consecutive stoppage win last weekend to emphatically dismiss mandatory challenger Huseyin Cinkara in eight rounds, capping an active year with three title defences.

It's the busiest he's been since 2019, when stepping up through the levels from domestic and regional championships towards world-level opposition. As such, Canada's Ryan Rozicki is respectful of the 30-year-old and his standing atop the 200-pound division.

However, The Ring's No. 4-rated cruiserweight contender does believe he would represent a big step-up in competition from who the Sydney southpaw has been facing of late.

"From what I've seen, I think he's probably the best in the division," Rozicki (20-1, 19 knockouts) told The Ring.

"If that fight happens to come my way, 100 percent I'll take it. He has not fought anyone near me, I've seen some of his fights and he's fighting lower [level of] opposition."

After watching the champion almost come unstuck early in his fight last Saturday against Cinkara, the Canadian has a warning for his agemate.

"In my opinion, his opponent didn't look world class," he said. "He got hit and wobbled in the second round. I believe if that was my right hand that hit him, he would not have [taken it], would not have got up."

Opetaia's aggressive start played into Cinkara's hands in round two, the unheralded challenger rocking the hometown hero with a pair of right hands to leave him unsteady. He was visibly frustrated post-fight and lamented a poor performance, though one that will give him renewed concentration for 2026 amid frustration about failed unification fights.

Perhaps overconfidence and lacking a true challenge have shown in Opetaia's recent performances, where he was caught by David Nyika and even more so by Cinkara before powering through.

Rozicki offers a warning for the current cruiserweight top dog.

"Don't believe your own hype," he said. "Be very careful what these guys [around you] say about you because you may think you're the boogeyman but you're probably not."

Rozicki's promoter Daniel Otter of The Lions Promotions is also open to matching his fighter with Opetaia.

"We hear a lot of talk from Jai that people are ducking him," said Otter. "I feel people have been ducking Ryan too, so if he's going to speak, Ryan is ready to fight him."