Following his signing with Zuffa Boxing, Chris Billam-Smith has expressed his desire to face Jai Opetaia, aiming to solidify his position as the world's best. This move will see him compete live on Sky Sports. Billam-Smith previously held the WBO cruiserweight world title from May 2023 to November 2024, losing it to Gilberto Ramirez, but bounced back with a win over Brandon Glanton at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year. Opetaia, also a Zuffa fighter, recently became the inaugural Zuffa world cruiserweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over Glanton.
Billam-Smith stated, "We are two of the biggest names in the cruiserweight division and are signed under the same promoter." He added, "Part of this deal and a key reason I signed with Zuffa is to chase high-profile fights, with facing Opetaia being a top priority." Billam-Smith, who has a multi-fight deal with Zuffa, has been out of the ring for over a year since his unanimous decision win over Glanton in April. Having been in a training camp since January, he is eager to announce his next fight soon and hopes to compete in the UK, preferably in his hometown of Bournemouth, where he has had some of his most notable career victories, including becoming a world champion in 2023 by defeating Lawrence Okolie.