IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opateia has been ordered to defend his world title against Britain’s Richard Riakporhe.
Parties have 90 days to negotiate a deal before purse bids will be called
The Australian upset division ruler Mairis Briedis in his home country last July, suffering a fractured jaw in the process.
Opateia has not fought since but was set to face Mateusz Masternak in his first defence before the Pole withdrew from a scheduled purse bid yesterday.
Embed from Getty ImagesAbove: Opataia is set for his ring return after recovering from the fractured jaw he suffered against Mairis Briedis last year.
Riakporhe is now set to fill Masternak’s place having already disposed of former world champion Krzysztof Glowacki in his last bout.
The 33 year old is undefeated in his 16 contests so far, 12 of which have come inside the distance, and forms part of a flourishing domestic cruiserweight division.
Riakporhe’s former opponent Chris Billam-Smith claimed the WBO title against fellow Brit Lawrence Okolie in May.
France’s Arsen Goulamirian holds the WBA version while Sweden’s Badou Jack picked up the WBC title with a throwback performance against Ilunga Makabu in February.
Featured image: Lawrence Lustig/BOXXER.
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