Eddie Hearn Bets on Pat Brown to Hand Jai Opetaia His First Loss

Eddie Hearn thinks he's found the puncher to snap Jai Opetaia's 31-fight unbeaten streak — and it's a British champion with exactly seven pro bouts to his name. Speaking on The Stomping Ground, Hearn talked up Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Pat Brown, who lifted the British cruiserweight title on Saturday night, as a live threat to the Australian southpaw down the line.

Opetaia (30-0, 23 KO) remains the lineal cruiserweight champion despite being stripped of the IBF belt for a second time after joining Dana White's Zuffa Boxing this year. The politics haven't slowed him: he's fought twice in 2026, outpointing Brandon Glanton and then Noel Mikaelian, all while running a lawsuit against the IBF in the background.

Hearn's Case

Hearn's pitch is blunt. He admitted that, given his history with Opetaia, he'd relish watching Brown dismantle him. His argument rests on durability — Hearn claims Opetaia gets hurt by smaller punchers, pointing to Mikaelian, a 28-3 fighter with just 12 KOs, allegedly wobbling him repeatedly. His theory: if Brown lands clean on the chin, the fight's over.

There are two big caveats, and Hearn named both. First, Brown is seven fights into his career — Hearn wants the bout in 2027, not now. Second, and more revealing, he said the fight only makes sense once there's a world title attached, because Opetaia currently doesn't hold one.

What's Actually Next for Opetaia

The win over Mikaelian could line Opetaia up for a three-belt unification in May. That depends on December's clash between David Benavidez — the WBA and WBO titleholder at 32-0 (26 KO) — and WBC champion Michal Cieslak. Benavidez is coming off a sixth-round stoppage of Gilberto Ramírez, so the winner presents a serious test.

Brown, meanwhile, has options either way. If Opetaia isn't reinstated as a titlist, Hearn may steer his man toward fellow Brit Viddal Riley (14-0, 7 KO), who's expected to meet David Nyika for the vacant IBF strap. Plenty of moving parts here — but Hearn's message is clear enough: he wants a shot at Opetaia, just not until the belts and the bank balance line up.