Jai Opetaia won’t move up to heavyweight until he has cleaned up the cruiserweight division.
Already viewed as the world’s leading 200lber, with his blend of experience, power and speed the Australian could be seen as viable contender to take on Oleksandr Usyk at heavyweight.
But first the IBF cruiser champion wants to win all the belts in his own weight class.
“Undisputed first. Once we become undisputed we can think about something else. But I’m chasing these belts like I’ve said for a long, long time,” Opetaia told Sky Sports.
“I feel like sitting here talking about him [Usyk] like I’m trying to call him out just for clout is silly,” Opetaia added. “I find it disrespectful.
“It’s unrealistic. Both of our pathways are heading in different directions right now. I feel like it’s silly to sit and try and disrespect one of the best fighters in the world right now.”
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On Sunday night in Las Vegas Opetaia fights American contender Brandon Glanton for the first ever Zuffa Boxing title.
“I feel like this is going to be a new chapter in boxing. This Zuffa belt is going to mean something and I’m going to be the first to hold the Zuffa belt. And if everything goes according to plan I’ll be the first ever undisputed with the Zuffa,” the Australian noted.
“It definitely does make it more exciting.”
At the timing of writing, Opetaia was waiting for confirmation on whether his IBF championship would also be on the line in this next fight.
“I’m pretty sure we’re going to be working together and I’m very excited for that,” Opetaia said.
“We’re ironing things out and I’m really hoping to find that middle ground and we can all work together. Because it’s my dream to become undisputed and I can’t do that unless the IBF see the dream and want to work with us too.”
There are exciting options for Opetaia at cruiserweight, including unified WBA and WBO titlist Gilberto Ramirez and all-action Briton and former world champion Chris Billam-Smith.
Opetaia criticised Billam-Smith for taking a fight with Ramirez, which he lost, when he could have boxed the Australian in a unification.
Opetaia defeats Mairis Briedis in an IBF title defence
“He thought it was going to be an easier fight. He wanted to collect a belt before he fought me. He thought it would be easier. But now look,” Opetaia said.
“Don’t you think it’s crazy how I was trying to fight him for so long when he had the belt. Now he doesn’t have a belt, now he wants to fight! We had the opportunity to have a unification fight, we were always talking about it. I was ready.
“If that fight comes, I’ll be ready. I’ve never hand-picked a fight,” the Australian added. “I legit just sit in the gym, train hard and they call up and say you’re fighting him here and I say done.”
His first task this year comes against Glanton in Las Vegas. Opetaia has a propensity for scoring spectacular knockouts. But his American opponent has never been stopped before.
“I’ve never really chased the stoppage. If it comes, it comes. We’ve just got to box smart and do our thing. I am strong, I do punch hard, but it’s the punches when you don’t really chase it, they do come to you,” Opetaia said.
“I’ve just got to box smart and if the knockout comes, it comes but we’re prepared for 12 hard rounds.”
