Former world champion Chris Billam-Smith expects to face Australian cruiserweight Jai Opetaia in 2027 if both fighters win their upcoming bouts.
The 36-year-old British fighter aims to return to the ring before the end of this year, targeting a fight in November in either London or Bournemouth, before resuming his pursuit of Opetaia next year.
Billam-Smith confirmed he intends to challenge the winner of Opetaia's upcoming title defence against Noel Mikaelian, which takes place on September 12 in Las Vegas on the undercard of Conor Benn's clash with Ryan Garcia.
Opetaia and Mikaelian fight in Las Vegas
Speaking to Sky Sports, Billam-Smith expressed confidence that Opetaia, widely regarded as the top cruiserweight in professional boxing, will defeat Mikaelian in their September bout.
"I think so. I think I need to get through my next fight and then I'll fight the winner of that, whoever that might be," Billam-Smith told Sky Sports. "Mikaelian on his day is a good fighter but I pick Jai to beat him."
"But it might take him a few rounds to set the pace and obviously Mikaelian's got some good names on his record, has some good performances but I feel like he's slowed down a little bit and gone a little bit past it now," he added.
In professional boxing, the cruiserweight division has a weight limit of 200 pounds (90.7 kg), sitting directly between light heavyweight and heavyweight. Opetaia currently reigns as the division's leading figure.
November return set for London or Bournemouth
Before any prospective 2027 showdown with Opetaia, Billam-Smith must navigate his own upcoming fight, which is being planned for late autumn.
"Looking most probably around November time," Billam-Smith said regarding his fight schedule. "I think it will be London or Bournemouth. Don't know who yet. The champions seem a bit tied up, I think Benavidez is lining up a fight for December as well in Vegas, I believe."
Billam-Smith hails from Bournemouth, Dorset, where he has previously headlined major fight nights alongside appearances at major arenas in London. David Benavidez is also planning a fight for December in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Amateur rivalries with Clarke and Massey
Alongside his ambition to face Opetaia, Billam-Smith remains open to domestic contests, including a potential fight against Cheavon Clarke.
Clarke recently earned a comeback knockout victory against Jack Massey on the undercard of Billam-Smith's fight. Clarke recovered from two fourth-round knockdowns to stop Massey in the seventh round of their cruiserweight battle.
"Obviously Chev won on my undercard. He's got two wins over me so from a competitor's point of view I'd very much like to get one back," Billam-Smith said during a screening of the new boxing drama Fightland.
"[Clarke-Massey was] a superb fight which I think was definitely going to win fight of the night - until our fight," he noted.
Both Clarke and Massey defeated Billam-Smith in elite Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) national championship finals earlier in his career, and the Bournemouth boxer wants to avenge those defeats in the professional ranks.
"I owe him one and I feel like that does the Jack Massey one in the ABA final as well. Both of those have beaten me in an ABA final. That would put that to bed so that would be nice," Billam-Smith said.
"I'm up for whoever," he added. "Zuffa are signing people all the time so you just don't know who's going to pop up out the woodwork and get offered. So we will see on that front."
The ABA National Championships, organized by England Boxing, represent the highest level of amateur boxing competition in the United Kingdom and have historically served as the proving ground for future world champions.
Victory over Rozicki and future plans
Billam-Smith lost his WBO cruiserweight world championship to Gilberto Ramirez in 2024. He fought once in 2025, defeating Brandon Glanton, before returning to action in June 2026 for a headline clash against Canadian contender Ryan Rozicki in the Zuffa Boxing 07 main event.
In that fight, Rozicki was pulled out after the seventh round following a relentless offensive display by Billam-Smith, who landed nine clean punches during the contest.
"I think if I'd taken my foot off the gas and was just sort of coasting I would definitely have been beat that night. I think that's the important thing to take away from my point of view," Billam-Smith said.
"I had to be switched on and pushing the training as I do and looking for different ways to improve. I'm on it. And I'm still getting better."
Billam-Smith spoke to Sky Sports at a promotional screening for Fightland, a new drama series about boxing scheduled to premiere on Sky and NOW on August 27.
