Benavidez’s Title Request Granted

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has ordered a cruiserweight unification bout between WBA and WBO champion David Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) and WBC champion Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) after the latter missed his six-month window to make a voluntary title defence.

“Benavidez visited Mexico and has his mind only on winning the WBC cruiserweight championship. The WBC has received a letter from his promoter with the petition to mandate WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian to make his first mandatory defence against WBC light-heavyweight champion David Benavidez. The WBC Board has voted in favour to order cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian to fight David Benavidez,” Sulaiman

Benavidez claimed the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles earlier this month with a sixth-round stoppage of Gilberto Ramirez, becoming a three-division world champion in his first outing at 200lbs. He also retains the WBC light-heavyweight belt, giving him the option of a unification.

Mikaelian, 35, has not fought since defeating Badou Jack by unanimous decision last December to claim the WBC belt. He had been reportedly finalizing a deal to face Jai Opetaia, but faces being stripped of the WBC title if he pursues that route instead.