Jai Opetaia Wants Undisputed, But Zuffa May Have Other Plans

The cruiserweight champion wants every belt, but Zuffa’s push to build its own title may complicate that path

Jai Opetaia wants to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion. The bigger question is whether Zuffa Boxing has any reason to finance that pursuit.

The path to undisputed is easy to outline. After losing the IBF title outside the ring, Opetaia would first need to win that belt again from the next champion recognized by the International Boxing Federation. From there, he would likely need to fight the winner of the cruiserweight bout between David Benavidez and Gilberto Ramirez before eventually meeting Noel Mikaelyan, who currently holds the title awarded by the World Boxing Council. Three wins in those fights would place Opetaia on top of the four-belt era at cruiserweight.

Drawing the path on paper is simple, but explaining why Zuffa would finance that run is harder. The company has introduced its own championship and appears focused on building that belt into the main prize in the division. Helping Opetaia collect titles from organizations like the IBF or the WBC would strengthen those sanctioning bodies; at the same time, Zuffa is trying to promote a competing championship.

Cruiserweight also presents a business problem. Even strong champions at 200 pounds rarely generate major purses on their own, and convincing every titleholder to participate in a unification run would likely require guarantees far above the usual level for the division. That becomes even more complicated if those opponents are tied to other promoters or broadcast agreements.

The situation involving Benavidez illustrates the uncertainty. Benavidez carries far more name recognition than most fighters connected to the cruiserweight division, yet he built his career at lower weights and has not established himself as a long-term presence at 200 pounds. If he returns to light heavyweight or moves in another direction, the commercial appeal of a full cruiserweight unification run drops quickly.

From Opetaia’s point of view, chasing undisputed status is logical. Becoming the first four-belt champion at cruiserweight in the modern era would secure his place in boxing history and settle the question of who truly runs the division.

Promoters often see the same situation differently. Building prestige for a new championship usually means keeping the focus on that belt rather than directing attention toward rival titles. If Zuffa intends to make its championship the central prize at cruiserweight, financing a campaign for outside belts does little to advance that objective.

That leaves Opetaia’s ambition caught between two competing priorities. The Australian southpaw may have the ability to beat every champion available at cruiserweight, but arranging those fights requires a promoter willing to bankroll the process.

Opetaia will face Brandon Glanton in the headline bout of Zuffa Boxing 4 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, an event scheduled to stream on Paramount+ this Sunday.