Chris Billam-Smith turned down “life-changing money” to box earlier this year to ensure he beat Jai Opetaia when he fought him.

Opetaia is the formidable IBF cruiserweight world champion and will be hoping to prove to Bournemouth’s WBO titlist Billam-Smith that he is the best fighter in the division.

Billam-Smith believes Australia is on an eventual collision course with Opetaia.

But first he will face WBA world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in a high-stakes unification live on Saturday. Sky Sports.

The Briton could have boxed Opetaia earlier this year in October but opted to unify Ramirez instead.

“The problem with the Opetaia offer… they said October 12th and they said they were offering a period of 10 weeks and they said that was long enough for a camp. It is, but I was in America on a family holiday for three years – a week and a half,” Billam said. Smith Sky Sports.

“It would be a five- or six-week camp for the unification fight,” the WBO champion explained. “They said: ‘Life-changing money’. It’s not about that. It’s about winning and preparing myself in the best possible way.”

“I’ve been a professional my whole career in terms of the way I handle camps and do everything right, so I didn’t want to cut it short for anyone, whether it was an easy fight or a tough fight.

“I wouldn’t want to shorten camp just because there’s a little more money on the table. You’re blamed either way. You’re blamed for not getting into the fight, because that’s a ridiculous amount of money, but you’re also blamed for shortening camp and taking the money.”

“I’ve always played the long-term game, always making sure I’m ready for opportunities that come along. And like I said, I don’t want to shorten anyone’s camp time.”

He believes that the battle of Opetaia will take place.

“There’s a fight that’s talked about around the league for me against Opetaia – everyone sees it as No. 1 and No. 2. I want that fight to happen after my next fight,” Billam-Smith said. “That would be ideal for me.

“All the champions are very respected champions,” he added. “‘Zurdo is next and I rate him very highly.’

While the Australian has impressed with wins over Mairis Briedis, Jack Massey and others, a future fight with Opetaia does not scare Billam-Smith.

“Everyone sees him as an invincible monster. And I’ve never seen him that way,” Billam-Smith said.

“Jack Massey is Opetaia’s second-best player on paper.

“I don’t think ‘Zurdo’ gets enough credit right now because he hasn’t fought much at welterweight and he beat (Arsen) Goulamirian, who is old and inactive, but it was still a very, very good fight.” A very, very good win.

“Maybe his inactivity affected him in that fight. But it was still a very, very good win, and the way (Ramirez) did it was he was very busy in that fight, really freed up his hands and showed good variety.”

“There’s also (WBC champion Noel) Mikaelian, who has had very close fights with Briedis in the past. He’s a really weird guy.

“In terms of ‘Zurdo’ and Noel Mikaelian, I think the other two champions are also very underrated.”

Watch Chris Billam-Smith unify the world title with Gilberto Ramirez live on Saturday Sky Sports Mix from 5 p.m.