Eddie Hearn Threatens to Sue Zuffa Champ Jai Opetaia Over Corruption Claims

Eddie Hearn says he's ready to take Jai Opetaia to court. The Matchroom promoter has instructed his lawyers to contact the undefeated cruiserweight champion after Opetaia named him in a lawsuit alleging a conspiracy to punish fighters who sign with Zuffa Boxing. Opetaia, 30-0 with 23 knockouts, filed the suit against the IBF just days ago, and Hearn's response was blunt: retract the statement or face a defamation claim.

This is the latest escalation in a feud that's been simmering all year between Hearn and Zuffa boss Dana White. It got personal when Hearn signed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall — 15-3, and coming off a no-contest with Ciryl Gane — to his new management company. Opetaia, meanwhile, was Zuffa's first marquee capture, and his debut in March came at a cost: the IBF stripped him after Zuffa announced it wouldn't recognize any of the traditional sanctioning bodies.

The Lawsuit and Hearn's Response

The lawsuit reportedly accuses the WBA, WBC, WBO, the IBF and Hearn — Opetaia's former promoter — of colluding to make an example of him. Hearn isn't having it. He told IFLTV he takes accusations like this extremely seriously and pointed to his past litigation against Jake Paul as proof he'll follow through. Paul, for the record, is 12-2 after getting stopped by Anthony Joshua in six rounds last time out.

Hearn's argument leans hard on reputation. He said Matchroom has spent more than 40 years building a clean record and won't tolerate his name being tied to corruption in the sport. His message to Opetaia was to withdraw him from the complaint and retract the statements, or the promoter will sue for defamation. He also floated the idea that Opetaia was put up to it, suggesting the people advising the Australian would end up paying the price.

There's a softer note buried in the threat. Hearn told the outlet he suspects the whole thing may not even be Opetaia's fault, framing the fighter as someone acting on bad advice. That doesn't change the legal footing much — a defamation letter is a defamation letter — but it tells you Hearn's real target is whoever's steering the ship.

What Comes Next

Opetaia remains unbeaten and lineal champion at cruiserweight, having outpointed Brandon Glanton in his Zuffa debut. The bigger question is where the lawsuit lands and whether it drags Hearn into a genuine legal fight or fizzles under pressure. Neither outcome is clear yet.

What is clear is that the Hearn–White cold war shows no sign of thawing. Turki Alalshikh reportedly offered both men a chance to sit down and hash things out recently, but White declined to show. With Aspinall in Hearn's stable, Opetaia in Zuffa's, and lawyers now involved, the two camps look further apart than ever.