Jai Opetaia will return to the ring on March 8 in Las Vegas

Opetaia's next fight WILL be a defence of his Ring Magazine and IBF titles. It's not against Mikaelian, though that fight is going to follow.

 

I'm hoping for an Opetaia - Mikaeljan fight, with the winner facing the winner of Benavidez - Ramirez.

 

Good fight! Mikaelian would be undefeated if the judging had been fair in all three of his "losses."

 

Looks like the next fight will be at the UFC Apex/Gym, way to treat a ring champ, have him fight in a UFC gym in front of 100 people.

 

50yo Cinkara the IBF mandated challenger who had previously turned at Jai's fights and called him out?

What was Opetaia meant to do, surrender the belt and run?

That is pretty much what Billam-Smith did, ran to Zurdo to avoid Jai after he'd cleaned out the other UK cruisers in emphatic and devastating fashion.

Remember Jordan the Giant? All big talk and Adonis looks at the weigh-in. "Practitioner of Artistic Violence" he titled himself.

That was before the first round when he took a straight left harder than he'd ever been hit. We all know the massacre that followed and Jordan should take up darts now because he's majorly gun shy.

Poor Ellis "Full of Sorrow", looking like a drunken fool with the bottom rope for a pillow. Or Gentleman Jack, the pick of the bunch, face turned into an offal pizza in 6?

"Weak as P***" Billam-Smith, Opetaia didn't even have to meet him in the ring for incontinence to occur.

Next!

 

CBS is terrible, the fact that he managed to snatch a belt up just goes to show how bad of a division CW has become. Opetaia smashes them all up if they get the balls to fight him.

 

He may be terrible, but he walks the earth like a god compared to the rest of the crappola in the division.

 

FU troll.

 

its interesting, reports said Zuffa Boxing not recognizing titles but Opetaia will be defending his IBF . are they going to pull a PBC and try and not show the belt?

 

Zuffa is like the PFL of boxing.

I feel bad for Jai, hope he's getting paid well for this.

 

Zuffa can't actually promote and use their own belts as it stands can they?
They can't promote and essentially act as as ORG too

Biding time for now

 

Weee! the infamous , opponent to be named later. Be still my beating heart.
This is just typical of todays boxing,,,

 

Why the hell is it going to follow? what's the wait ffs. It better not be another total bum. Don't give me the excuse they can't find any top 10 fighter to fight him at all. That is BS. Pay them properly and they will.

 

The hold up is on Mikaelien’s end. The opponent is top ten. And FWIW the “pay them properly and they will” part is factually inaccurate. Riakporhe and Masternak both pulled out one after the other as mandatory on the eve of purse bids. CBS was offered excellent money and followed his dream of “always wanting to fight in the USA” by fighting Ramirez in Riyadh.

Ramirez has managed to forget Jai’s name. We’re talking about one of the most avoided fighters in recent history.

 

So prime Tyson could get top fights but its impossible for Jai? Do people really believe this? You think they offered good deals to every top 10 opponent and they all turned him down? Evidence?