Jai Opetaia has some lofty ambitions in boxing.

The Australian knockout artist is widely considered to be the best cruiserweight on the planet and is the current IBF and lineal world champion.

Opetaia is a slick fighter who packs a serious punchMark Robinson/Matchroom

He first won the belt by beating divisional great Mairis Briedis in 2022 and has looked virtually unbeatable ever since, even when he had to regain it after being stripped last year.

His first two defences against Jordan Thompson and Ellis Zorro proved to be complete mismatches with Opetaia making quick work of both men before scoring a dominant points win over Briedis when they rematched in May.

Opetaia’s next assignment is a clash on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol undercard with ‘One Smack’ Jack Massey on October 12.

For now, he has his eyes firmly set on unifying at 200lbs.

But in the not-so-distant future Opetaia wants to follow in the footsteps of former cruiserweight champions Oleksandr Usyk, Evander Holyfield and David Haye, by moving up to heavyweight and winning a world title in boxing’s glamour division.

“Definitely,” Opetaia told talkSPORT’s talkBOXING podcast when asked if he is eyeing a move up in weight.

“I’m hoping to do that by the time I collect these belts and handle my business [at cruiserweight].

“It is the goal, I’m hoping bridgerweight can attract a few more names and then we can move up to heavyweight and get a world title.

“The opportunities are endless but that is just all talk unless I handle my business in October.

“12 October has my full focus, I must win. But it’s something that is one of my goals.

He is the current IBF cruiserweight champion but is eyeing a move to heavyweight in the futureGetty

“It’s like working my way down and ticking that list. It’s definitely a boxed I’d like to tick.

“And I feel like I would be able to hold the weight very easily. I know I’m big enough.

“They called me into Fury’s camp, I moved around with him for the Usyk fight.

“I move around with a lot of heavyweights all the time, I know I’m big enough and I know I can hold my own against them.

“Boxing is changing, it’s not about who eats the most punches and keeps walking forward anymore.

“Look at Usyk, he is dominating. It’s about hit and not get hit.

“That is the science of the sport. I was born and raised in this s***.”