“I’m making my Zuffa debut on March 8 here in the APEX,” Opetaia said during the post-fight show with Molly Qerim and Mike Coppinger.
For Dana White, this fight carries more weight than anything that happened on the launch card. That first show relied on fighter development and left the feeling that the roster was thin at the top. The broadcast looked great, but the box itself fell short, something Opetaia is now expected to rectify with his performance.
He arrives as a complete warrior, not someone who learns on the job. He is already a champion who has dealt with elite opponents, difficult negotiations and long nights. That matters for a new promotion trying to earn credibility with serious fans.
Opetaia is 29-0 with 23 knockouts. He is currently the only reigning world champion signed to Zuffa Boxing. This fact alone puts pressure on his debut. He doesn’t just defend titles. He sets an early competitive benchmark for the league.
His position in the cruiserweight division is earned. In July 2022, Opetaia outpointed Mairis Briedis in Australia to claim the line and RING championships. This was a tough fight against a proven champion, not a vacant belt situation. One defense followed before business complications intervened.
At the end of 2023, Opetaia was stripped of the IBF title after a December bout that fell outside the IBF’s required path.
The issue was administrative. Their rematch settled it in the ring. Opetaia and Briedis met again in May 2024 in Riyadh, and Opetaia won another clear twelve-round decision.
Those two fights remain the only times Opetaia has gone the distance in eight championship fights. Since then, she has tightened control. He has stopped his last four opponents, including an eighth-round knockout of unbeaten mandatory challenger Huseyin Cinkara in Broadbeach last December.
That stretch coincided with a career move. Opetaia entered 2024 as a free agent, still linked to Tasman Fighters but without a global promotional home. Zuffa moved quickly and signed him to a deal that allows for appearances on both Zuffa cards and Riyadh season events. That flexibility keeps his options open while maintaining access to unification battles.
“I think Zuffa is going to be a new chapter,” Opetaia said. “They’re here whether people like it or not. I want to become Zuffa’s first undisputed champion.”
The goal fits his position. Cruiserweight unit is realistic if the fights are made. The question is not his ambition. This is how Zuffa supports it. A new league does not earn credibility through slogans. It earns it by matching champions correctly and consistently.
Opetaia also understands the environment he has entered. During a recent trip to Las Vegas, he spent time around White and the Zuffa operation and came away impressed.
“Being in this environment made me respect Dana White even more,” Opetaia said.
March 8 is a simple test. Zuffa Boxing needs a champion who looks like a champion on his stage. Opetaia has already proven he can do it elsewhere. Another strong performance would help steady a league still searching for competitive substance. Anything less keeps the questions in place.
It’s a position he’s held before, and one he seems comfortable carrying into a new environment.
