Jai Opetaia Wants to Become Undisputed, But There is A Caveat

Fresh off a title defence and with a brand-new belt in hand, Jai Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) is eyeing the undisputed throne. However, this can only happen “in a perfect world”, or so he says.

In conversation with talkSPORT Boxing, Opetaia opened up about the path that he wishes his career to take in the coming months.

“In a perfect world, I’d be fighting for the WBC next against Noel, and then I’d be fighting Benavidez for the other two belts, and I’d become undisputed, and then I’d go up to heavyweight,” he said. “But I’ve got a feeling it’s not going to be that simple, and they’re going to drag it out for a fair bit, and I’m going to have to sort of zigzag to get to this destination. But if that’s what I got to do, I got to do it.”

Opetaia basically became the poster boy for Dana White’s new Zuffa Boxing project. After years of being seen as one of boxing’s avoided fighters at cruiserweight, Opetaia shocked the sport in early 2026 by signing with Zuffa while still holding the IBF and Ring cruiserweight titles. It was a massive statement signing because White had mostly been talking about disrupting boxing from the outside. In fact, his last fight was a huge moment for both him and Zuffa Boxing. He fought Brandon Glanton in March and absolutely dominated him over 12 rounds, winning a lopsided unanimous decision.

And why has he not fought David Benavidez yet? It’s mostly politics, timing and promotional distrust. Benavidez had bigger immediate business with Gilberto Ramirez, while Opetaia was tied up launching Zuffa Boxing. However, that doesn’t mean he regrets signing with the promotion.

“Man, they just agreed on everything I was sort of chasing. I knew them coming in was a they were going to have to move at a fast pace and make big noise real quick. And that’s exactly what I want to do. I want to chase the big fights, get stuff over the line, and they got the backing to do it. When I first signed with them, I believed in them. I took a chance. Now look at everyone. Now everyone’s signing with him. So, I made the right decision. Everyone was badmouthing me at the start, but now it’s like if you ain’t part of Zuffa, bro, you’re missing out,” he said.

“I’m In No Rush”

And how soon does he want to move to heavyweight? According to Opetaia, he is in no hurry. Rather wishing to take his time and savour the perfect undisputed victory.

“To be honest, man, I’m 30 years old. I’m in no rush. Everyone’s just seen me around and they always going, ‘Oh, go up to heavyweight,’” he said. “Everyone wants me to rush my dreams for their satisfaction. No. I’m on my own journey. I walk at my own pace. Undisputed is what I’m chasing. Undisputed is what I’m going to get. And then we’re going to go up to heavyweight.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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