Aussie champ Jai Opetaia fires warning shot at Zuffa Boxing as new league faces $1B lawsuit

Jai Opetaia fired a warning shot at his new bosses at Zuffa Boxing as Dana White's new boxing venture faces potential legal action.

Opetaia joined Zuffa last month, as the first high-profile signing by the new promotion, headed by UFC boss White.

The announcement raised questions in the boxing world because Opetaia has long spoken of his desire to be undisputed cruiserweight champion under the current belt system - while Zuffa has emphasised it will move away from it.

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Opetaia is widely regarded as the best cruiserweight in boxing but has voiced frustration over the belated nature of having to wait for his shot to unify.

He will face Brandon Glanton for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing Cruiserweight World Championship on March 9 (AEDT) at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

A new Zuffa title will be on the line for that fight but the Australian is uncertain if he will put up his IBF belt as well.

"I hope so, [it's] not 100 per cent confirmed," he told the Mayweather channel last week.

Speaking this week, Opetaia said his goal is still to be "undisputed", before he fired a warning to the Zuffa hierarchy.

"If we don't get one [unification fight] by the end of the year, I'll be very f---ing disappointed.

"Don't take your mind off undisputed. We're chasing unification fights. When you think of me, you think: 'Bro, he wants to be undisputed.' That's it. I'm not worried about anyone else, I don't chase names.

"I don't even care if it was 'Zurdo' [Gilberto Ramirez], or if it was [David] Benavidez, or if it was back when it was [Chris] Billam-Smith. I actually respect these dudes. I think they're great fighters, I think they're great world champions."

The Australian and Zuffa Boxing have the same goals when it came to his career, he added.

"There was a couple of things. We sort of sat down, we went over what we wanted to do, and they said they can help us make sure things happen like that.

"They're gonna help us make sure it happens the way we want it, to the best of their ability. But yeah, man, it just fit. It made sense, so why not?"

White's foray into the boxing world has been costly so far, and it's set to cost even more.

Zuffa Boxing paid British fighter Conor Benn a reported $US15m to fight former two-time junior welterweight titlist Regis Prograis on Netflix in the co-feature of the return of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury from retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

That figure did not sit well with many UFC fighters, who have long called for a bigger slice of the pie.

On top of that, veteran British promoter Frank Warren confirmed to the BBC that he is considering legal action against Saudi Arabian-owned Sela and American company TKO, the owners of Zuffa Boxing.

Tensions have boiled behind the scenes between Warren, Turki Alalshikh and Sela after the arrival of Zuffa Boxing.

Sela is a Saudi state-owned entertainment company and TKO Group Holdings is a media giant that owns the UFC and WWE.

Warren claims Sela breached a contract he had with them by forming Zuffa Boxing with TKO behind his back.

According to the Telegraph in the UK, Warren's Queensberry Promotions, allege as much as $1 billion ($1.4b AUD) could have been lost in potential earnings.

Sela said they were "disappointed" by the claims and "reject them in their entirety".

"It's just a difference of opinion over the contracts that we signed, so that will just take its course," Warren told BBC Sport.

"I can't make any comment on it. It is what it is and it will take its course."

It's understood Warren has had limited involvement in Fury's comeback fight in April on Netflix.

The BBC reports the fight was organised by Sela and Netflix, and TKO chief Mark Shapiro claims Zuffa Boxing will be tasked with the promotional duties around the fight instead of Queensberry.

Fury has been with Queensberry since he resumed his career in 2018.