Opetai Stops Mikaelian Setting Up Unified Title Fight Vs Benavidez

Jai Opetaia and David Benavidez opened talks for a cruiserweight unification fight targeted for Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2027, moments after the Australian stopped Armenia’s Noel Mikaelian (28-4, 12 KOs) in the ninth round on Saturday.

Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) called Benavidez into the T-Mobile Arena ring in Las Vegas, and the pair agreed to fight next. Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) holds the WBA and WBO titles and had watched Opetaia’s win from ringside.

Mikaelian provided Opetaia with problems before the stoppage, repeatedly finding a home for his right hand and hurting The Ring champion with one in the seventh round.

Opetaia recovered before turning the fight around in the ninth. He backed a defenseless Mikaelian toward the ropes with a combination of unanswered shots. Referee Harvey Dock ruled a technical knockdown. After assessing Mikaelian, Dock stopped the fight shortly after. It was the first stoppage defeat of Mikaelian’s professional career.