At the receiving end of some pointed jabs, Dana White may have turned the tables on Eddie Hearn. With Zuffa Boxing set to make its inaugural debut on January 23, White and his team announced a promotional deal with Jai Opetaia, the IBF title holder promoted by Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.

The move, while leaving many awed, has raised several eyebrows, however. Concerns primarily center around Dana White‘s previous statements about not working with boxing’s legacy sanctioning bodies. A few fans wonder how the decision bodes for Opetaia while he aims for a cruiserweight title unification.

Dana White rolls out the red carpet for Jai Opetaia

“Welcome to the Zuffa Boxing family! 🥊🇦🇺 @JaiOpetaia1 is officially inked!” The Zuffa tweet read. The post featured a short clip of the cruiserweight champion. “Hey, what’s up, everyone? It’s Jai Opetaia. So, I’m with Zoot for boxing now. It’s a pump for the future. Exciting time, man. Let’s get these big fights over the line, unification. Undisputed soon.  Let’s go,” he said.

Opetaia defended his IBF and the Ring titles for the fourth time on December 6. He anticipates a title unification at 200 pounds. Yet despite his intentions and call-outs, things have barely moved. Unified champion Zurdo Ramirez has settled for a title defense against David Benavidez, while Noel Mikaelyan, who holds the WBC belt, became a champion just a month ago.

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Yet his dream stands starkly in contrast with Zuffa Boxing’s purported vision. Speaking with Stephen Smith, Dana White made it clear: “So, I’ve been talking smack about boxing for a long time, and now it’s time to put my money where my mouth is. I’m going to get rid of the sanctioning organizations.”

Speaking about Opetaia’s move, Dan Canobbio commented, “Opetaia is very talented, but (the) main problem over the years has been securing big fights. Not sure how this changes with Zuffa. Predictably, quite a few fans now seek answers from Opetaia’s management. Here’s what some of them said.

But questions remain as Opetaia’s ambitions clash with White’s vision

Without mincing words, one fan said, “Whoever is advising Jai needs sacking. Crazy decision.” Their anger is understandable. The champion’s intentions are diametrically opposite to the plans the organization seems to have chalked out for the near future.

Similar sentiments echoed when another fan said, “I thought Zuffa didn’t believe in any of the other belts?” With a UFC-style operation, the new boxing promotion is likely to have its own belts and championships. So how does that blend in with other sanctioning bodies, especially the big four, when the head doesn’t want to work with them?

“Question: He’s an IBF champion. Is he going to vacate that belt and then be given the new world title? Or the governing bodies transitioning with this. So many thoughts. 😹😹😹😹😹🔥🔥,” one user wrote. Their thought hinged on scenarios that include Opetaia vacating his IBF title and then fighting for a Zuffa belt. More significantly, will WBC, WBA, WBO, and the IBF get around the idea and accept Zuffa’s title?

One user highlighted another predicament. “No TV deal in Australia, btw … just USA … no Europe, no UK … bad move,” they said. Opetaia is a big name in Australia and New Zealand. Not many seem to know him in the USA or Europe. With Zuffa’s Paramount deal restricted to the US currently, how the new partnership benefits the champion and his reputation is something that remains to be seen.

A few, however, appeared optimistic. “Huge signing. 👏🏼 Been on the cusp of stardom for a few years, just couldn’t get the big fights with Hearns,” one fan wrote. “Hopefully @Zuffa_Boxing can deliver for Jai.” The veiled criticism of Eddie Hearn likely stems from the difficulty Opetaia has been facing to get big fights. He has fought in London and Saudi Arabia. But most of the opponents have so far been a level below.

He wants big names on his resume, matchups that cement his legacy.

While the concerns raised by fans appear reasonable, they should wait till more details emerge. Jai Opetaia must have weighed in his options before making this critical career move. He’s not known for taking reckless decisions, so reports should reveal the grounds for joining Zuffa.