Chris Billam-Smith has set his sights on a showdown with fellow Zuffa stablemate Jai Opetaia after agreeing a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing that will see his fights broadcast live on Sky Sports. The Bournemouth fighter said the move was designed to help him chase the biggest names in the cruiserweight division and prove he is “the best in the world.”
Billam-Smith held the WBO cruiserweight title from May 2023 until November 2024, when he lost the belt to Gilberto Ramírez. He bounced back with a unanimous-decision victory over Zuffa stablemate Brandon Glanton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year. Opetaia, also signed to Zuffa, was crowned the promoter’s inaugural world cruiserweight champion last month after beating Glanton by unanimous decision.
With both men on the same promotional roster, Billam-Smith believes a clash with Opetaia is logical and necessary. He said joining Zuffa was motivated in part by the chance to secure those high-profile domestic and international matchups — fights he feels are required to cement his place at the top of the division.
Although the 35-year-old has not fought in more than a year since his win over Glanton in April, he has been training consistently, entering camp in January. Billam-Smith indicated he hopes an official return and opponent will be announced soon, and that he would like the comeback fight to take place in the UK. Bournemouth remains special to him — it was where he became world champion in 2023 with victory over Lawrence Okolie — and he said he would love to fight back home again.
The matchup with Opetaia would pit two of the division’s leading names against each other under the same promotional umbrella and would answer questions about who is the division’s premier fighter. For Billam-Smith, the path is clear: sign with a promoter who can make those big fights happen, stay active in training, and target the best available opponents to prove his claim at the top.