Jai Opetaia Says Zuffa Will Allow Unification

IBF cruiserweight champion insists undisputed chase continues despite uncertainty over sanctioning approval for Zuffa title fight

Jai Opetaia says Zuffa will allow him to pursue the undisputed cruiserweight championship even as uncertainty surrounds the IBF’s position on his fight with Brandon Glanton. The champion discussed the situation in an interview with The Sun.

“We’re chasing undisputed. This is my dream. Look at the last couple of undisputed fighters. You’ve got [Terence] Crawford, you’ve got [Oleksandr] Usyk, legends of the sport.

“I want my name up there like that.”

Opetaia currently holds the IBF cruiserweight championship but could face disciplinary action if the sanctioning body refuses to recognize the Glanton bout, which is scheduled to crown the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight titleholder. Reports circulated this week claiming the IBF had instructed him to choose between defending its belt or fighting for the new title.

The Australian rejected those claims and insisted the situation has been misreported.

“False! I want to work with the IBF, you know. And they’re not ruled out. I wanna become undisputed. And unless the IBF jump on board and work with us, man, my dreams become a fantasy.”

Opetaia also addressed speculation surrounding the negotiations.

“Just don’t listen to everything you read on the internet, you should know that, bro. People are always jumping to conclusions.

“People just want to make out like they know [what’s going on], so everyone clicks on their thing. They don’t know st, bro! They honestly do not know st. That is a fully made-up scenario.”

The cruiserweight division still runs through the established sanctioning bodies. To become undisputed, Opetaia must still collect the WBA, WBC and WBO belts alongside the IBF title he already holds.

If the IBF ultimately refuses to sanction the Glanton fight, Opetaia could lose his belt. That decision would complicate the immediate cruiserweight title picture while the division waits to see whether Zuffa’s belt structure can coexist with the existing championship system.

Opetaia vs Glanton Fight Details:

Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026
Location: Meta APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (UFC/Zuffa facility)

Start Times (main card; approximate):

Las Vegas (PT): 6:00 PM
New York (ET): 9:00 PM
London (GMT): 2:00 AM (Monday, March 9)