Chris Billam-Smith is prepared to pivot away from his long-standing pursuit of Jai Opetaia and explore alternative heavyweight opportunities, should the Australian cruiserweight champion proceed with his own plans to move up in weight.
The Bournemouth fighter has harboured ambitions to face Opetaia for some time, viewing him as the division's elite operator. However, those plans appear increasingly unlikely given Opetaia's trajectory toward a heavyweight showdown with former world champion Deontay Wilder on the undercard of Tyson Fury's December 11 clash with Anthony Joshua in Cardiff.
From what I gather he's going to fight Wilder and then Benavidez,Billam-Smith told Sky Sports, outlining his understanding of Opetaia's near-term schedule.
According to boxing reports, Opetaia is mandated to face the winner of the December three-belt unification between David Benavidez and Michal Cieslak, with a potential Wilder bout also being considered as a possible December fixture.
Billam-Smith's assessment of the likely sequence is blunt.
Opetaia's fighting Wilder, then Benavidez is his plan and I think he gets beat by Benavidez, before I get the chance to box him and beat him myself.
Should that scenario unfold, Billam-Smith would then set his sights on Benavidez himself. Yet he is unwilling to remain idle while waiting for such an opportunity to materialise.
But that's a year away. I'm not going to wait around for a year,he said.
Rather than harbour resentment toward Opetaia's decision to pursue Wilder, Billam-Smith recognises the logic of such a move and would make an identical choice in his rival's position.
If Opetaia was to pull out of the Wilder fight, I could fight Wilder,he explained.
We could do it. Who knows what's next, to be honest? I can't look beyond Chev [Clarke on November 7] too much, there's that fear factor there.
Speaking to the Toe2Toe podcast, Billam-Smith articulated his broader ambitions in the sport.
I want the biggest fights, the biggest names, not necessarily for belts but if they're for belts, even better. Opetaia hasn't got one of the four main governing body belts but that's a great fight, he's seen as one of the best. That's what I want.
Wilder, I've always said I wanted to fight him.
Opetaia willing to take on all comers
Dana White, who promotes Opetaia, confirmed to Sky Sports that the Australian is poised to feature on the undercard of the Fury-Joshua event.
Jai Opetaia is more than likely going to be on the undercard. [Wilder] is one that we've been talking about and working on.
White emphasised Opetaia's readiness to face any opponent, regardless of the risks involved.
The guy's willing to fight anybody,White said of his fighter.
It's a very dangerous fight for him considering where he sits in his division right now.
But he's a fighter; he'll fight anybody, even at heavyweight with a guy who hits as hard as Wilder does.
Billam-Smith's immediate focus
Before contemplating any heavyweight venture, Billam-Smith must navigate his upcoming cruiserweight assignment. According to Sky Sports, he is scheduled to face Cheavon Clarke on November 7 at London's Copper Box Arena, headlining Zuffa Boxing 12.
The bout carries significant personal resonance for Billam-Smith. He lost to Clarke in the 2016 national elite amateur championship final and also in an English title belt series, though he has acknowledged that Clarke deserved those amateur decisions. This rematch offers him a chance at redemption against an opponent who has twice defeated him in the amateur ranks.
Both fighters arrive at the showdown in strong form. According to recent reports, Billam-Smith stopped Ryan Rozicki in his last outing, while Clarke stopped Jack Massey after being knocked down twice. Billam-Smith, who holds a 22–2 professional record, previously avenged a loss to Richard Riakporhe by defeating him in their 2024 rematch, demonstrating his capacity to overcome previous defeats.
The November 7 encounter will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
