Jai Opetaia intends to move up to heavyweight once he completes his remaining goals at cruiserweight, according to his father and trainer Tapu Opetaia.
Speaking during Opetaia’s training camp in Phuket ahead of his September 12 fight with Noel Mikaelian, Tap said the long-term plan remains to become undisputed before leaving the division.
David Benavidez could become central to that plan. Tap believes a fight between Opetaia and Benavidez could potentially happen early next year and said it would likely be a unification bout. “That fight will skyrocket us to the next level if it does happen,” he said.
Opetaia’s route to undisputed has become complicated after he was stripped of the IBF title following his fight with Brandon Glanton, while Mikaelian’s WBC situation has also been affected by the sanctioning body ordering him to face Benavidez.
Tap admitted he once suggested abandoning the cruiserweight title chase and moving up, but Opetaia refused. “We won’t leave it like that just because of politics. Let’s finish what we started,” he told his father.
For now, however, Team Opetaia insists the entire focus remains on Mikaelian, with the Australian completing an intense Phuket camp built around running, pads, heavy bags, sparring and strength work designed to push him physically and mentally.
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