Mairis Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight title defence against Jai Opetaia on April 6 has been postponed.
The fight had been due to take place in Australia, the challenger’s home country. His promoter Dean Lonergan gave details to AAP as to why it has been called off.
“He had Covid and now he says he has the flu. I’m now waiting on a doctor’s certificate,” said Lonergan.
Opetaia will still get his shot but looks like having to wait until the end of April or early May to take on Briedis.
The 37-year-old Latvian has been active on social media lately in a bid to bait Jake Paul into fighting him. His pursuit of a money-spinning fight against the Internet star included getting the tattoo ‘Jake’s Bad Karma’ on his left thigh before recording a rap track berating the American. During a trip to the UK to promote the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano fight Paul said he didn’t know who Breidis was.
The biggest threat to Briedis’ number one status at cruiserweight, Lawrence Okolie, defends his WBO belt against Michal Cieslak next month. It had been rumoured that if the two champions got through their next fights, then they would face one another in a unification bout this summer.