Zuffa Boxing confirmed Tuesday that Jai Opetaia will face WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian in the co-main event of Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn on September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ring Magazine also announced the matchup, while the official release included pointed comments from Opetaia directed at David Benavidez.
“This is a huge card, and I look forward to showing the world once again why I’m the best cruiserweight on the planet,” Opetaia said. “Credit to Noel for stepping up to the plate while others, yes, David Benavidez, I’m talking about you, continue to run and hide.”
The announcement immediately turns attention to the sanctioning body’s next move.
Earlier this year, the WBC ordered Mikaelian to make a mandatory defense against Benavidez after its Board of Governors approved the light heavyweight champion’s petition for a title opportunity at cruiserweight. The organization stated that Mikaelian was required to defend his title against Benavidez.
Instead, Mikaelian accepted a unification bout with Opetaia, who holds the Ring Magazine championship and headlines Zuffa Boxing’s cruiserweight division.
Mikaelian defended the decision in Zuffa’s announcement.
“When I step into the ring on September 12 against Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas, I intend to defend my world championship,” Mikaelian said. “This is the fight I’ve wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I’m ready to deliver. I haven’t fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their titles, and that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”
His advisor, Anthony Girges, said Team Mikaelian had not received a legitimate offer to fight Benavidez.
“More than 60 days after Noel vs. David Benavidez was ordered, we still haven’t received a bona fide offer. Noel wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines any longer,” Girges said. “This isn’t just about two champions in Noel and Opetaia. It’s about protecting the integrity of the sport and making the fights the fans deserve.”
That account differs from comments made to BoxingScene by promoter Don King, who said Mikaelian already has a signed contract for a proposed December 12 unification bout with Benavidez in Glendale, Arizona. King said Mikaelian requested a $1 million purse and that the financial terms were secured. Sampson Lewkowicz also told them that Benavidez was preparing to sign the agreement.
If the WBC enforces the order it already announced, Mikaelian should be stripped of the title for bypassing his mandatory challenger, leaving the championship vacant.
The WBC’s own rules point toward one outcome. Benavidez remains the designated mandatory challenger, while Michal Cieslak holds the interim championship. Matching those two for the vacant title follows the sanctioning body’s own framework and settles the championship inside the ring.
Now the WBC faces a test of its own rules. King and Lewkowicz both indicated legal action remains possible if Mikaelian abandons the Benavidez fight. At the same time, the WBC has an opportunity to show its mandatory orders apply equally to every cha
Only ONE can be the best cruiserweight in the world! 🏆@JaiOpetaia1 v Noel Mikaelian will meet in the #GarciaBenn co-main event!
SEP 12 | 📺 @ParamountPlus + @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/ivCchxOsn7
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) August 4, 2026