Jai Opetaia’s ring walks have become part of the story around the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, and the songs he has chosen point straight back to his Samoan heritage. For his rematch against Mairis Briedis, he walked out to Samoae Maopoopo Mai by Vaniah Toloa, one of the clearest examples of how he has used entrance music to frame his biggest nights.
That is why Opetaia keeps drawing attention whenever walkout music comes up. Readers searching his name now are not looking for a random playlist; they are looking for the pattern behind it. In his case, the pattern is cultural and deliberate, with Samoan music doing as much work as the gloves or the robe in setting the tone before the opening bell.
The detail matters because Opetaia has not relied on one fixed signature song. His entrances have mixed traditional and contemporary Samoan music, and another track, Kau Mo Samoa by SJ Demarco, has also been used alongside Vaniah Toloa’s music for major championship appearances. That mix gives his walkouts a wider range than a single anthem would, while still keeping the same thread running through them.
Ua Fa’afetai has added another layer to that identity. Described as a popular Samoan song, it has become a crowd sing-along during some of Opetaia’s entrances, and it has also been associated with his Las Vegas appearances. The effect is less about novelty than recognition: the music signals who he is before he throws a punch.
That is also where the small friction in the story sits. Opetaia’s entrances are clearly tied to heritage, but the music choices are not locked into one fixed formula. He has used different Samoan songs for different stages of his career, which makes the entrances feel personal rather than scripted, and leaves the next one open.
The broader piece is framed around walkout songs for Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, but Opetaia’s section stands on its own because it identifies the songs behind some of his biggest moments. For anyone following the boxer’s next move, the unanswered question is simple: which Samoan song will carry him out next time?
Jai Opetaia targets undisputed 200lbs run as David Benavidez looms also points to the bigger run he is chasing, and the music around him is already part of that identity.
