Following his signing with Zuffa Boxing, Chris Billam-Smith has expressed his desire to face Jai Opetaia, aiming to demonstrate his status as the world's best. This move will also see him competing 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 he 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 drew parallels with his past experiences, saying, 'Under the same promoter at Sky before, I boxed Richard Riakporhe and Lawrence Okolie. They were the biggest names back then, so that's definitely going to happen.' Billam-Smith emphasized that his deal with Zuffa is partly driven by his desire to prove himself as the best by beating the best, with Opetaia being a key target. Having not fought in over a year since his unanimous decision win over Glanton, Billam-Smith, who has a multi-fight deal with Zuffa, has been in training camp since January and is looking to announce his next fight soon. He expressed his eagerness to return to the ring and potentially box in his hometown of Bournemouth, a venue that has hosted some of his most significant career highlights, including becoming a world champion in 2023 by defeating Lawrence Okolie.