Jai Opetaia recently became Dana White and Zuffa Boxing\u2019s first championship signing. He had previously been co-promoted by Eddie Hearn\u2019s Matchroom.<\/p>\n
Opetaia first became IBF World Champion back in 2022. He was stripped in 2023 for refusing to face a mandatory challenger, but promptly won the belt back a year later. He has since been calling loudly for unification fights, particularly against WBA and WBO titleholder Gilberto Ramirez.<\/p>\n
The feared cruiserweight king announced his move earlier this week ahead of Zuffa\u2019s inaugural card in Las Vegas. It is a statement signing by boxing\u2019s newest show in town, but led to some confusion amongst fans.<\/p>\n
White has made made it clear in recent months that he does not intend to work with the sport\u2019s four main sanctioning bodies, and was expected to focus on the Ring Magazine belt as well as creating a Zuffa title. However, when revealing he had signed with the UFC boss, Opetaia said he was still looking to gain the other three recognised belts.<\/p>\n
Speaking to IFL TV<\/a>, Hearn revealed that the partnership \u2014 a co-promotion with Tasman Fighters \u2014<\/a> had began to dwindle over the last six months.<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t promoted Jai ourselves in over two years, since the Jordan Thompson fight. Everything that we\u2019ve done around Jai is with Mick Francis and Tasman Fighters. The last three fights, which have all been in Australia, we haven\u2019t been the promoter of. The first fight, we, with Turki Alalshikh, provided quite a lot of money for sponsorship. The second fight against the Italian guy, we weren\u2019t involved at all. And the third fight, which is probably where the problem came, DAZN turned it down.<\/p>\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t make an offer to air the fight. I kind of feel like over that period, we haven\u2019t been doing too much. More importantly, I wasn\u2019t able to deliver Jai the fights people want to see him in. Which is not his fault, and really not my fault, because Zurdo Ramirez wasn\u2019t available or didn\u2019t really fancy the fight in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n Hearn then recognised that the champion had to make a decision to benefit his career after \u2018treading water\u2019, going on to praise the deal with the caveat that it delivers unification fights.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully this deal can give him what he wants. I know there\u2019s a confusion of Zuffa aren\u2019t recognising belts but Jai and Mick [Francis] are saying this is going to take us to undisputed fights. I think the messaging is all over the place, it doesn\u2019t really matter. The problem is still going to be delivering him those fights. You\u2019ve got Benavidez-Zurdo in May, so those guys aren\u2019t going to be available till November, December.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what\u2019s the plan for Jai? Presumably, if the plan is true to its word, he will unify. There\u2019s only one other champion, so he will fight WBC Champion, Mikaelian, next. Which I think is brilliant for him. So as long as he does that, and as long as that actually happens, I think this has been the best move that Jai and Mick can make.\u201d<\/p>\n