Opetaia won a 12-round unanimous decision over Brandon Glanton Sunday night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
For Opetaia, 29-0 (23 KOs), getting the win was one thing, but the story was the belt. Opetaia lost his IBF cruiserweight title in favor of becoming the first-ever Zuffa beltholder when the IBF wouldn’t sanction the bout. Opetaia, a 30-year-old from the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, had made seven title defenses in two title reigns dating back to 2022. Opetaia is firmly attached to Zuffa Boxing, and figures to be one of the major figures at the forefront. Typically, you can gauge where a fighter might go in the future, but not so much with Opetaia. Zuffa Boxing is evolving, and the types of bouts they have for titleholders are yet to be normalized. We have no idea who may or may not be options for Opetaia.
Still, here are five fights that would be interesting for Opetaia in the future.
5. Robin Safar
Record: 19-0 (13 KOs)
Odds of Happening: 25%
Excitement level: 7/10
Safar is a big puncher who recently signed with Golden Boy Promotions. In terms of an action fight, this would pit two like-minded fighters. Safar holds a win over Sergey Kovalev in 2024, albeit that version of Kovalev was past his prime. Safar has an established record, and he stands at 6ft 3ins. At 33 years old, he isn’t getting younger. Safar could also stylistically prepare Opetaia for David Benavidez, if that were a fight he looked for in the future, as Safar fights aggressively and is in the same stance (orthodox) and listed as a half an inch taller than Benavidez.
4. Ryan Rozicki
Record: 21-1-1 (20 KOs)
Odds of Happening: 50%
Excitement level: 7/10
Rozicki is a puncher who got a stoppage win this weekend. Rozicki is unbeaten at cruiserweight, and his only loss came when he moved up in weight to heavyweight to fight Oscar Rivas. In terms of matching Opetaia with another action fighter, Rozicki would not back down from Opetaia, which could make for a good fight. Rozicki has never faced a fighter of Opetaia’s caliber at cruiserweight and would be taking a jump in competition.
3. Noel Mikaelyan
Record: 28-3 (12 KOs)
Odds of Happening: 50%
Excitement level: 6/10
Mikaeljan defeated Badou Jack to win the WBC cruiserweight title in December. The two posed for a photo-op as well at a Zuffa Boxing event. It is a high-profile fight that could be realistic, but it comes down to the direction Mikaelyan’s team wants to go in. Do they want to be a part of Zuffa or not? That’s a theme of many future opponents for Opetaia. If so, it is a compelling match-up.
2. Chris Billam-Smith
Record: 21-2 (13 KOs)
Odds of Happening: 65%
Excitement level: 8/10
Billam-Smith is a former titleholder who lost his belt to Ramirez in 2024. A beloved British boxer, Billam-Smith is physical with craft, would be an interesting fight to take place in the U.K., and might be even more feasible with Zuffa Boxing’s signing of Conor Benn. If a match between Ramirez-Benavidez can’t happen, this is probably the best suitable replacement bout.
1. The winner of Gilberto Ramirez-David Benavidez
Records: Ramirez – 48-1 (30 KOs);, Benavidez – 31-0 (25 KOs)
Odds of happening: 50%
Excitement level: 10/10
Quite clearly, the winner of the May 2 clash between Ramirez and Benavidez would be the most fascinating fighter to match Opetaia with.
A cruiserweight title unification between Opetaia and Ramirez has long been sought as one of the most interesting and consequential in the division. For whatever reason, it hasn’t happened. Opetaia is seen as either the best or second-best fighter in the division. The other top fighter would be the winner of Ramirez-Benavidez, despite Mikaeljan holding the WBC title.
It would be a division-defining type of fight. Opetaia appears to be the best career cruiserweight since Oleksandr Usyk, with Ramirez and Benavidez moving up from smaller weights, looking to prove their greatness. Important to note that Benavidez has never fought at cruiserweight, and despite his big frame, this is something some might be overlooking. Ramirez has looked like the other great cruiserweight of this era since moving up from light heavyweight after his lone defeat to Dmitry Bivol. It is the type of bout that elevates a great fighter into a legend with a win. This is the best fight that could be made.
