Jai Opetaia refuses to give up undisputed dream despite uncertainty after Zuffa Boxing deal

Australian boxing star Jai Opetaia says he is still determined to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion despite doubts surrounding his future path. The reigning IBF cruiserweight champion shocked the boxing world earlier this year when he signed a promotional deal with Zuffa Boxing. The new promotion, backed by TKO Group Holdings and Saudi group Sela, has promised to reshape professional boxing.However, the situation has created complications for Opetaia’s long-term goal. Zuffa’s leadership, including UFC president Dana White, has said the promotion does not plan to work with traditional boxing sanctioning bodies. That stance could make it harder for Opetaia to unify all four major cruiserweight titles.Jai Opetaia will make his promotional debut with Zuffa in a fight against Brandon Glanton for the inaugural Zuffa 200-pound title. While the fight marks a new chapter in his career, it could also create problems with the International Boxing Federation, which currently recognises him as its cruiserweight champion.There have been reports suggesting the IBF may force Opetaia to choose between defending its belt or fighting for the new Zuffa title. Losing recognition from the IBF would damage his chances of collecting all the major belts in the division.Despite the uncertainty, Opetaia insists that becoming undisputed remains his ultimate goal. Speaking to Sun Sports, he said the aim of every professional boxer is to hold every major championship in their weight class. According to him, joining the list of undisputed champions would place his name alongside some of the sport’s greatest fighters.Opetaia explained that he admires champions who achieved that milestone in recent years. Fighters like Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk have unified their divisions and earned legendary status in the sport. The Australian believes reaching that level would be one of the biggest achievements of his career.The 30-year-old also dismissed speculation that the IBF had already issued him an ultimatum about choosing between titles. He said many stories circulating online are inaccurate and based on assumptions rather than real discussions.Opetaia added that fans should be careful about believing everything they read on the internet. In his view, some reports are created simply to attract attention and generate clicks.Despite the challenges, he said he still wants to work with the IBF and hopes the sanctioning bodies will eventually cooperate with Zuffa. According to Opetaia, achieving undisputed status requires everyone involved in the sport to work together.