Opetaia and Whittaker eye $5m super fight

AUSTRALIA’s newest world champion Jai Opetaia is in negotiations with UFC sensation Robert Whittaker to stage a $5m heavyweight super fight.

The Opetaia camp has started talks with Whittaker’s management with a view to the champion Sydney duo trading blows in one of the biggest fights in Australian history.

Nicknamed “The Reaper”, Whittaker made history in July 2017 when he became the first Australian to win a UFC title, defeating Yoel Romero to emerge as one of the finest combat artists in the world.

A fortnight ago, Opetaia followed suit in his own craft, overcoming a broken jaw in two places to snatch the IBF cruiserweight world title from Mairis Briedis and supplant George Kambosos as Australian boxing’s kingpin.

Now plans have been hatched for Opetaia and Whittaker to face-off in a domestic fight blockbuster that would resemble Australia‘s version of Conor McGregor taking on Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

Opetaia’s promoter Dean Lonergan said he had opened talks with the Whittaker camp.

“Yes, I’ve had some talks with Rob Whittaker’s manager and he is open to it,” he said.

“It would be the biggest fight we could make in Australia from a pay-per-view, publicity and credibility point of view.

“Jai is now Australia’s only boxing world champion and Rob is a UFC star who is acknowledged as one of the toughest fighters the world has ever seen. If the finances are right for both guys, Whittaker’s management indicated that Rob would be keen on it.”

The Opetaia-Whittaker fight would be slated for March next year. That would allow Whittaker time to honour his remaining two-fight deal with the UFC, including his next bout against Marvin Vettori in France on September 3.