‘Unbelievable’: World champion Jai Opetaia jaw X-ray is utterly bonkers

For anyone who still doubt the toughness of Australian boxing world champion Jai Opetaia, the 27-year-old has a pic to show you.

Jai Opetaia went through hell for his world title. Photo: Twitter and Fox Sports

Brand new IBF cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia made both history and boxing folklore with his stunning victory over Latvian Mairis Breidis on Saturday night.

The unanimous 116-112 x 2, 115-113 victory over a champion who had only ever lost against former undisputed cruiserweight and now heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk before Saturday’s fight became the highest division an Australian had ever claimed a world championship belt.

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And Opetaia did it the hard way.

The 27-year-old came out strong, throwing plenty of heavy shots to dominate the early rounds and set up his stunning victory.

But the historic victory will also go down in Aussie sporting folklore after it was revealed after the fight he had broken his jaw in the second round of the 12-round war.

He said he felt it “crack” early after a Breidis uppercut but didn’t even let his corner know it was damaged.

By the end of the fight, Opetaia’s mouth was just hanging open and he couldn’t speak after the fight as his jaw hung loose.

Ringside doctor Ben Mannion on the night said it could be five months before Opetaia can fight again.

“(With) bones you get about 80 per cent strength back after about eight weeks so he’ll probably be able to lightly train after that time,” he said.

“It will be three, four, five months (until he can fight again).

“One of the guys asked does it normally break on both sides after it’s broken on one side and I said, ‘People don’t normally compete after that time’.”

Opetaia’s X-ray showed the extent of the damage — and it’s not pretty viewing for the champion.

Jai Opetaia's jaw was seriously broken. Photo: Twitter

Jai Opetaia has had the surgery. Photo: Instagram

What was more remarkable was the Opetaia’s team didn’t even know his jaw was broken until the 11th round.

“I didn’t know it was broken until the 11th round when you can evidently see that something was really amiss with it,” Wilson admitted to Fox Sports.

“I believe we were two or three rounds up, I thought. We were starting to maybe lose a couple late. I said, ‘Just move, mate. We’ve got to move. Don’t do anything silly. Move, move.’ We got through there.”

But viewers were stunned be the extent of the injury.

Former featherweight world champion Billy Dib tweeted: “@JaiOpetaia your an absolute warrior.”

Hall of Fame promoter Lou DiBella wrote: “What a great showing from Jai Opetaia! Outstanding, dominant performance against the highly regarded Breidis. Fight was clear cut and left no doubt. Aussie #boxing is strong right now!”

Fox Sports’ Warren Smith added: “To be able to box on, finish the fight, and become the IBF Cruiserweight Champion of the World with this injury is unbelievable.”

No Limit Boxing’s Tim Ashworth commented: “You don’t play boxing! Jai Opetaia is one tough hombre and deserves absolutely everything positive coming his way.”

The NRL Physio Twitter account also said: “That is bonkers”.

What a victory for Jai Opetaia. Photo by Peter Wallis/Getty Images

Opetaia famously fought for years with a broken hand as he build a 21-0 record with 17 KOs leading into the fight with Breidis.

Opetaia’s promoter Dean Lonergan said the result should go down in boxing folklore like one of the greatest to even pull on the gloves.

“To come through a fight like that with a broken jaw, it’s just incredible. The last guy who did that was Muhammad Ali,” Lonergan said, referencing Ali’s first fight with Ken Norton in 1973 where he also broke his jaw. However, it was also the champ’s second career loss.

“I think he (Ali) broke it in the fifth round, in a world title fight. So for (Jai) to do that is nothing short of stunningly incredible.”