After failing to grasp the Zuffa cruiserweight title against Jai Opetaia this past weekend, Noel Mikaelian has now been stripped of his WBC belt for bypassing a mandatory defense versus David Benavidez.
Michal Cieslak (28-2) has now been elevated to WBC cruiserweight champion, with an immediate order to face Benavidez (32-0). Following the Cieslak-Benavidez clash, which is planed to occur before the end of the year, the winner is expected to face Jai Opetai.
In Cieslak’s most recent outing, he earned an impressive knockout victory over Canada’s Jean Pascal, achieving interim WBC titleholder status in the process. But he has been out of the ring since June 2025, and his abilities will certainly be fully tested when he faces Benavidez, who is coming off a strong knockout victory over Zurdo Ramirez in May, in which he became a unified cruiserweight champion.
David Benavidez training ahead of his expected WBC/WBA/WBO title fight with Michal Cieslak on December 12🥊
Who wins? pic.twitter.com/WXWVvZSzaK
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) September 15, 2026