Australian cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia has signed a long-term deal with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, it was revealed on Saturday.
The two-time IBF cruiserweight title-holder is a significant addition to the upstart promotion headed by UFC boss White.
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The Gold Coast native boasts a 29-0 record with 23 knockouts, regarded as the best cruiserweight there is.
“(I’m) signed with Zuffa Boxing now,” Opetaia said in a social media release from Zuffa’s official X account.
“I’m pumped for the future. Exciting times, man. Let’s get these big fights over the line — unification and undisputed, too. Let’s go.”
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Opetaia’s last outing was a knockout of Huseyin Cinkara in December — his fourth-straight KO triumph.
Zuffa Boxing is set to commence on January 24 with Callum Walsh facing Carlos Ocampo.
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Last September, White suggested his Zuffa Boxing vision represented something akin to a boxing version of Dana White’s Contender Series — with winners then progressing to high-profile Riyadh or Ring events.
“What I’m gonna do is basically like the Contender series,” he said.
“The best will fight the best. Undefeated guys will fight undefeated guys.
“I’ll build stars, put on great fights, and then these guys will graduate and fight with Sheikh Turki …”