Jai Opetaia will headline a Zuffa Boxing event on March 8 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, as unbeaten Australian will defend his lineal, Ring Magazine and IBF cruiserweight titles against an opponent yet to be announced.
Opetaia became Zuffa Boxing’s most significant signing earlier this week and is currently the promotion’s only reigning world champion. His agreement allows him the flexibility to compete on Zuffa cards as well as Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season events, a key factor in his long-term goal of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion.
The 30-year-old southpaw from Sydney has made seven defenses of the lineal and Ring titles across two reigns as IBF champion. His championship run began with a unanimous decision win over Mairis Briedis in July 2022, followed by a second victory over Briedis in their May 2024 rematch. Aside from those two bouts, Opetaia has stopped every opponent he has faced in title fights, including a brutal eighth-round knockout of unbeaten mandatory challenger Huseyin Cinkara last December.
Opetaia’s March 8 appearance will be his first fight in the United States and his first under the Zuffa banner, which has partnered with his longtime promoter Tasman Fighters. Speaking about the move, Opetaia described Zuffa as “a new chapter” in his career and expressed confidence that the promotion will deliver the major fights he believes are necessary to complete his pursuit of undisputed status at cruiserweight.
Image Credit: Fox Sports