Following his signing with Zuffa Boxing, Chris Billam-Smith has expressed his desire to face Jai Opetaia, aiming to prove himself as the world's best. Billam-Smith, a former WBO cruiserweight world champion, will now have his fights broadcast live on Sky Sports.
His reign as champion ended in November 2024 when he lost to Gilberto Ramirez, but he bounced back with a win over Brandon Glanton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Opetaia, also a Zuffa fighter, recently became the inaugural Zuffa world cruiserweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over Glanton. Billam-Smith stated, 'We're two of the biggest names in the cruiserweight division and we're both under the same promoter.' He believes that this setup will facilitate a fight between them, which is one of the main reasons he signed with Zuffa.
Billam-Smith has been out of the ring for over a year but has been in a training camp since January and is looking to announce his next fight soon. He hopes to return to fighting in the UK, possibly in his hometown of Bournemouth, where he has had some of his most notable career moments, including becoming a world champion in 2023.