Gruesome toll of Aussie's epic world title victory

Jai Opetaia spent 2 days successful infirmary pursuing his rubric combat triumph implicit Mairis Briedis successful July.

Multiple operations aboriginal and the 27-year-old had 4 metallic plates holding his jaw together, which was breached cleanable successful 2 places by the ferocious Latvian champion.

For 4 months, the Gold Coast section could eat lone what would acceptable done a straw. He mislaid weight, past enactment it backmost on.

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The injuries and consequent rehabilitation should beryllium capable to enactment anyone disconnected returning to the country of the trauma.

Instead, Opetaia has hardly stopped celebrating. And present he's acceptable to spell again.

"I'm astatine the array with the satellite champs now, I'm not playing successful the backyard anymore," Opetaia told Wide World of Sports.

Jai Opetaia celebrates winning the IBF cruiserweight satellite rubric against Mairis Briedis astatine Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. (Photo by Peter Wallis/Getty Images) (Getty)

"I'm connected the satellite stage, I'm a satellite champion. There's similar 7 cardinal radical successful the world, I'm the No.1 cruiserweight successful the f---ing world, bro.

"How galore radical get to accidental that? And that was conscionable the start, that was my archetypal satellite rubric fight.

"I've fought the champion and I've bushed the best, and present I privation more, I'm not done.

"There were a fewer make-or-break situations wherever I consciousness similar a batch of radical would person fixed up, but it's not successful me, I privation more.

"People aren't consenting to spell to the ends that I americium to get what I want. If I perpetrate to thing I'm f---ing going each out, I'm giving 100 per cent."

WHAT'S NEXT FOR WORLD CHAMP?

Opetaia's instantly-famous unanimous points triumph implicit Briedis earned him the IBF cruiserweight loop and the Ring Magazine rubric to boot.

His ngo present is to unify the division.

That won't beryllium truthful casual to do, fixed the belts are divided betwixt 4 antithetic fighters. Arsen Goulamirian holds the WBA belt, Ilunga Makabu the WBC, and Lawrence Okolie the WBO.

Jai Opetaia shows disconnected his busted jaw with his parent aft winning the IBF cruiserweight satellite title. (Supplied)

Opetaia returned to the gym connected Tuesday and is hoping to measurement backmost into the ringing successful March, but isn't definite whether that volition beryllium successful Australia oregon overseas.

"They've thrown a fewer names astir - mandatories, and going implicit to England - but I don't springiness a f--- who I combat next," helium said.

"All I privation is to get paid what I deserve, and I'll combat anyone.

"Everyone wants to combat for a satellite title, everyone is calling maine out, (but) they mean nothing. World champions are calved successful the gym, they're calved retired of years of dedication.

"They are not conscionable that, 'Oh I'm going to telephone him out' - that's that showbiz shit, they're getting mixed up with the combat crippled and amusement concern due to the fact that you've got YouTubers and crap fighting.

"Your rima doesn't get you fights, hard enactment does."

Opetaia has had 1 metallic sheet removed from the close broadside of his face, but 3 stay and are apt to beryllium successful determination for the remainder of his life.

Jai Opetaia connected his mode to the IBF cruiserweight rubric against Mairis Briedis. (Getty)

His doctors and trainers present request to marque definite helium tin bull the aforesaid punishment Briedis dished retired to him, without perchance causing much important damage.

For Opetaia, helium says helium would beryllium backmost successful the ringing already if not for the proposal of those astir him.

But a small facial country isn't going to basal successful the mode of his vocation goal.

"We're successful a presumption to conquer this full f---ing thing, similar we tin crook Australian boxing into thing huge."

INSPIRING GENERATION NEXT

Opetaia realises helium is nary longer conscionable different boxer from the Gold Coast.

He has an planetary profile, and it's taken immoderate getting utilized to.

"There's decidedly a batch much eyes connected me. A batch much cameras, a batch much radical erstwhile I spell retired somewhere, they're truly taking notice," helium said.

"I've benignant of adapted to it, it was a spot weird astatine the start, but I'm a satellite champion, and nary 1 said it was going to beryllium easy."

He utilized the interruption from grooming pursuing the Briedis combat to springiness backmost to the assemblage - some successful Australia, and successful Samoa.

Opetaia walks to the ringing donning some flags, and is arrogant of his dual heritage.

When helium returned to Samoa carrying the satellite title loop helium received a royal welcome.

"It's crazy, aft my combat going over, they really, truly clasp it," helium said.

"It's huge. It's a precise tiny nation, and conscionable seeing them connected the satellite stage, it's bully to see.

"In Samoa we're looking astatine putting programs unneurotic for kids, young boxers, small gateways for them to beryllium themselves and develop, past travel to Australia and fight.

"There's a batch of imaginable there, and they don't person the backing and backing determination that Australia has.

"It opens a batch of doors for the younger generations, and I consciousness similar that's the intent of life, trying to assistance the younker and assistance the younger kids, assistance them larn from our mistakes.

"We're mounting bars, we are mounting standards. In the boxing world, successful the rugby league world, we're mounting standards for the younger procreation to effort to beat, and that's what drives people."

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