A trip to Las Vegas and chat to Dana White convinced Jason Moloney the UFC supremo's rebel boxing league was destined to "take over" the sport.
Australia's former bantamweight world champion has signed a five-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing, joining countryman and cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia in White's stable.
Zuffa is establishing ties in Japan, where Moloney has built a strong following, while it's understood talks are underway for the Australian to fight on a Zuffa card in Saudi Arabia later this year.
It's an eye-catching move for Moloney as he chases another world title shot, given Opetaia was controversially stripped of his IBF belt after debuting and winning Zuffa's maiden world title fight earlier this year.
"With the with the way things went with Jai, I was a little bit unsure and I guess there still is that little level of uncertainty with how it's all going to play out," he told AAP.
"But that was part of the reason for me going over to Vegas. "And I was pretty blown away. I can't see it being anything other than a success and I think it's only a matter of time before they take over boxing.
"Dana was excited, he was saying, 'f*** man, you Aussies can fight'.
"Like with any contract, there's money to be made if I can win and defend belts and this will give me that opportunity."
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White, in partnership with Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, established Zuffa to disrupt boxing's hierarchy and the sport's big four organisations have held firm, refusing to recognise their belt as legitimate.
Alalshikh also owns The Ring Magazine and its belt, which Opetaia still holds and regards as the ultimate acknowledgement of champion status.
Moloney, whose twin brother Andrew won the IBF's super-flyweight world title in Japan last month, won and defended the WBO bantamweight title between 2023 and 2024.
He split with long-time American promoter Top Rank and joined Mick Francis - Opetaia's long-time promoter - at Tasman Fighters on a three-fight deal aiming to rekindle his aspirations.
Moloney sees this as the next step, with Zuffa promising regular fights in boxing hot spots around the world.
And like Opetaia, he remains confident of a resolution that will allow Zuffa boxers to fight for and defend other world title belts.
"That is the unknown, 'Will any of the champions be willing to fight me?'," he said.
"But I've got to remain optimistic that everything is going to work out and that the other champions will be able to fight in the Zuffa shows and the promoters will start working together.
"I believe in the direction that it's going and, even if the goal posts shift, I think that Zuffa belt will hold weight in the future and I'd be pretty excited to go after one of those.
"With Jai being the only Zuffa champion right now, people maybe don't respect that as a belt, but it's only a matter of time before that does become a big player and it does become something that people are pretty keen to get their hands on."
