Jai Opetaia aims to become just the second man after the current world heavyweight champion to beat Mairis Briedis and claim the cruiserweight world title.
The current heavyweight world champion is the only man that's beaten Mairis Briedis, but Australian contender Jai Opetaia knows he can't just copy Oleksandr Usyk's template when he fights the Latvian.
Up for grabs is the visitor's two cruiserweight belts on the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Usyk's 2018 points victory is the only blemish on a remarkable 28-1 record for the 37-year-old Briedis, who remains in supreme condition and plans to keep fighting until he's 40
But Opetaia (21-0, 17KO) has declared "his legacy ends here" as the 2012 Olympian aims to become the country's only current male world boxing champion by claiming the IBF and The Ring Magazine belts.
"Me and Usyk are both southpaws, but two completely different fighters," Opetaia said of the unified heavyweight champion.
"What he did to win that fight and what I'll do to win is two different fights.
"We just go in there and we adapt; we find little holes and that's what I'm good at."
Opetaia was Australia's youngest Olympic boxer when he qualified for the London 2012 Games as a 16-year-old.
Injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic have combined to stall his rise, but the 27-year-old is full of belief.
"He's had some great fights in the past, he's chilled, he's been up on these big stages a lot," Opetaia said of Briedis.
"I believe I can match it with him when it matters."
Both fighters had no issues at Friday's weigh-in, Opetaia registering 90kg with his tracksuit pants on and Briedis 90.3kg.
The Latvian was respectful of his younger rival while acknowledging the advantage he's giving away.
"When I fight in my hometown I say 'my people is my doping'," he said.
"But here, I try do my best and we'll see what happens here.
"If this arena will be full, this energy is good, you can charge (up).
"It's not enough for experience, you need everything."
New Zealand's Olympic boxing bronze medallist and two-time Commonwealth Games champion David Nyika will have just his fourth professional fight against Louis Marsters.
The stacked card at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre also features a WBA Oceania light heavyweight title fight between Faris Chevalier and Conor Wallace.
Lively characters Issac Hardman and Beau Hartas will clash in a middleweight battle while Taylah Roberston and Yoselin Fernandez will fight for the world super flyweight youth title.
