Jai Opetaia Shifts Focus to Mikaeljan After Zurdo Detour

IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia is now targeting new WBC titleholder Norair Mikaeljan, pushing for a unification fight after Mikaeljan’s tough win over Badou Jack last Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Zurdo Fight Off the Table

Opetaia wanted Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez next, but that fight is dead for now. Ramirez is tied up defending his belts against David Benavidez on May 2. With that off the table, Mikaeljan is the next available option.

That doesn’t mean it makes sense.

Mikaeljan took a lot of punishment against Jack in a rough fight. He got hit clean and often. Asking him to jump straight back in against a pressure fighter like Opetaia would be a bad move, especially when the WBC will let him take a voluntary defense first.

Opetaia says now is the time.

“I’m the Ring Magazine and IBF champion. He’s the WBC champion,” Opetaia said to Boxingscene. “The fans want to see who the real number one is.”

That urgency is understandable. But it also cuts both ways.

Warning Signs Showing

Opetaia wants to finish his undisputed run before moving up to heavyweight, but that plan is dragging on. Worse, his last fight raised some red flags. He was staggered by 40-year-old Huseyin Cinkara early and took a lot of shots. His face told the story after the fight, with visible swelling and bruising.

That stuff adds up.

The longer Opetaia stays at cruiserweight chasing belts that won’t line up, the more miles he puts on himself. If he finally moves up to heavyweight after years of delays, he won’t be arriving fresh. He’ll be arriving worn.

Opetaia’s co-manager Spencer Brown says the Mikaeljan fight is the logical next step. Maybe it is. But logic doesn’t always matter in this division. Titles stay frozen. Mandatory fights get in the way. Timelines fall apart.

At some point, Opetaia has to decide how long he’s willing to wait.

If the unification fights don’t materialize in 2026, it may be smarter to move on. There’s more money, bigger fights, and fewer roadblocks at heavyweight. What Opetaia can’t afford is reaching that division after his best years are already gone.