Chris Billam-Smith Reveals Why He Rejected Jai Opetaia Offer But Still Wants Fight

WBO cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith has revealed why he turned down an offer from Jai Opetaia for a unification fight but insisted he still wants to face the IBF title holder.

Opetaia (25-0-0 19 KO) has spoken publicly several times about his desire to fight Billam-Smith (20-1-0 13 KO), revealing that an offer had been sent to, and then ignored by, the British fighter.

Opetaia will instead make the first defense of his second reign as IBF champion against another British fighter, Jack Massey, on the undercard of the undisputed light-heavyweight showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dimitrii Bivol on October 14 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Billam-Smith has not yet booked his next fight but is reportedly in talks for a different unification bout against WBA champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez for November. The 34-year-old has now explained why he turned down the chance to fight Opetaia next, stating the timing didn’t work.

“That’s the fight people see as the number one [fight] in the division,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports. “We’ve both got fights in the meantime but I said, ‘Look, I’ll be ready in November or December.’

“He [Opetaia] said we got offered it 10 weeks out and that’s long enough for a camp, and that is right, but I was in America at the start of a three-week holiday. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to start properly training until last week. I then would have had a six or seven-week camp, I think, and Opetaia is a very, very good fighter.”

Opetaia is generally regarded as the top fighter in the cruiserweight division, although Billam-Smith disputes his status due to what he believes is a lack of credible names on his record.

The Australian first became the IBF’s world champion in July 2022 when he defeated then-title holder Mairis Briedis on points in a competitive bout. After one defense, against Jordan Thompson 14 months later, Opetaia was stripped of the title for failing to agree a rematch with Briedis, who was his mandatory challenger.

The rematch eventually took place for the vacant title as the co-main event bout to the undisputed heavyweight bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury in May, with Opetaia emerging victorious once again. Briedis, however, had been inactive since their first bout two years earlier and has since retired from boxing.

“I don’t think he’s as good as the hype at the moment,” Billam-Smith said. “The only name on his record is [Mairis] Briedis; a very good name, but what Briedis was it? In the second fight we saw a very old Briedis and in the other one he had been out [of the ring] for a while and there were rumours he was ill and stuff. What Briedis were you getting? Definitely not a prime Briedis.”

Billam-Smith last fought in June when he avenged the one defeat on his record to Richard Riakporhe by defeating his rival on points in London. It was the second defense of the WBO belt he won against Lawrence Okolie in May 2023.