Jai Opetaia says he won’t wait for Ramirez Benavidez result

Jai Opetaia says he plans to return to the ring again before the upcoming cruiserweight fight between Gilberto Ramirez and David Benavidez, pointing to a faster turnaround than many expected following his latest victory.

Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) fought last Sunday night in Las Vegas, defeating Brandon Glanton (21-4, 18 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the Zuffa cruiserweight title. The Australian entered the fight holding the IBF belt but lost that title outside the ring during the week following a dispute involving the sanctioning body.

Ramirez and Benavidez are scheduled to fight on May 2 in a bout expected to influence the next phase of the cruiserweight title race. Because of that fight, some observers assumed Opetaia might remain inactive until the result clarified the championship picture across the division.

Instead, the Australian champion indicated he has no intention of waiting that long and suggested another appearance could arrive within the next several weeks.

“I’m not waiting till May 2nd,” Opetaia said during his post-fight press conference. “I’ll have another fight before then.”

The timeline he described would require a notably quick return for a fighter who has just completed a twelve-round bout and currently holds championship belts. Fighters in similar positions often take several months between fights before beginning another training camp, particularly after a full-distance contest.

Opetaia said he has spent years pursuing unification fights while negotiations across the division developed. Those opportunities have not always materialized on the schedule he hoped for, which has occasionally left him waiting for other title fights to determine the direction of the division.

Rather than remaining inactive while Ramirez and Benavidez determine the next champion in their fight, Opetaia appears intent on continuing his schedule in the ring while keeping the unification goal in view.

Ramirez currently holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, while Benavidez is attempting to add another belt to the division’s championship mix. Their May meeting is viewed by many as one of the most important cruiserweight fights scheduled this year and could influence which fighters pursue the remaining titles next.

For now, Opetaia appears focused on remaining active while that situation unfolds rather than waiting for the outcome of the May fight before returning to the ring.