Jai Opetaia Becomes First Champion in Dana White’s New Zuffa Boxing Promotion

UFC head Dana White has entered the active phase of expansion into the world of professional boxing. The first star signing for his new company, Zuffa Boxing, is the reigning IBF world cruiserweight champion, Jai Opetaia.

The Australian southpaw officially announced the start of his collaboration with the newly established promotional firm. This move marks the first major acquisition for the project led by Dana White.

The Australian boxer expressed confidence that this alliance will help him achieve undisputed world champion status.

“This is Jai Opetaia. I’m with Zuffa Boxing now. Exciting times. Big fights ahead, unifications, and the undisputed title,” the boxer stated in his official address.

The situation looks particularly interesting given Dana White's previous statements. The executive has repeatedly criticized the modern boxing model and claimed he plans to reform the system. Notably, White has explicitly stated a lack of desire to work with existing sanctioning bodies such as the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO, instead proposing the creation of a unified Zuffa belt.