Dana White Gives Clarity On Jai Opetaia Unification Situation

Dana White admitted he was a little too "vague" when he claimed Zuffa Boxing would exterminate the sport's sanctioning bodies.

White and Zuffa Boxing made a splash earlier in the week when they landed IBF and The Ring cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. However, fans were confused when Opetaia mentioned his pursuit of title unification status in his announcement message, considering White had just recently claimed the promotion would "get rid of" the other belts.

White provided clarity on the situation at the Zuffa Boxing 1 pre-fight press conference. He admitted that everything is still "a work in progress," and that his previous statement might have been a bit too aggressive.

"All of this is sort of a work in progress," White told reporters. "Obviously, these guys all came from somewhere. They had plans, they had dreams from when they were kids and first put on a pair of gloves. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure these guys can do what they want to do. We'll work with Jai and probably many other guys on stuff like this."

Dana White on how Jai Opetaia could unify titles given his stance on that. pic.twitter.com/gFddUpO0KA
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 22, 2026

Perhaps White changed his mind, or perhaps he realized how bold that statement was. Either way, Zuffa Boxing does not appear to have that goal in mind anymore.

Dana White supports Jai Opetaia's title unification plan

Later on in the presser, White claimed Zuffa Boxing is talking to "everyone" in the sport. They might not be targeting the sanctioning bodies anymore, but they still seem to want to dominate the sport the way the UFC monopolizes MMA.

Zuffa Bozing boss Dana White | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With Opetaia now on the roster, that puts Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez atop Zuffa Boxing's list of targeted signings. Ramirez is expected to face WBC light heavyweight David Benavidez in May, but he is widely viewed as the second-best cruiserweight in the world and the fighter everyone has wanted to see face Opetaia for years.

Ramirez, however, remains under contract with Golden Boy Promotions. With him bogged down with Benavidez, recently crowned WBC cruiserweight titleholder Noel Mikaelian could be a more viable target for White and Opetaia.

MORE: Top Three Fights Reportedly Confirmed For Zuffa Boxing's Second Event

Mikaelian signed a promotional deal with Don King in 2022 and has remained with the 94-year-old promoter since. After losing the WBC title to Badou Jack in May 2025, Mikaelian reclaimed the belt in a rematch seven months later.

Mikaelian defeated Jack on Dec. 13, 2025, one week after Opetaia successfully defended his belt against Huseyin Cinkara. The timeline lines up for a potential unification bout if White can get a deal done with King.

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