Since claiming the WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles, David Benavidez has made it clear that unifications are his priority and that undisputed is his target. However, there has now been a last-minute change of plans, despite agreeing to a fight with a fellow world champion.
Benavidez dispatched of Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez back in May with a performance of the year contender, knocking the Mexican out in his divisional debut to announce himself as the man to beat at cruiserweight.
Around the same time, undefeated 200lbs king Jai Opetaia was stripped of the IBF world title, with that now-vacant belt likely to be contested between London-born Viddal Riley and the victor of David Nyika and Floyd Masson’s meeting this weekend, despite Opetaia’s ongoing lawsuit against the IBF.
As a result, the quickest unification for Benavidez to make was for the WBC belt, and ‘The Mexican Monster’ had reportedly agreed to a fight date of December 12 against champion Noel Mikaelian.
However, Mikaelian has now been announced as the opponent for Opetaia on the upcoming Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn undercard on September 12. The WBC had previously said the Armenian would be stripped of the title if he did not agree to a mandatory showdown with Benavidez.
It is now expected that Opetaia and Mikaelian will collide for only the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship and that WBC interim champion Michal Cieslak will either be elevated to full world champion or ordered to face Benavidez for the vacant belt.
That theory also aligns with a report from Abraham Gonzalez, who states that Benavidez and Cieslak are set to square off in either November or December, perhaps proceeding with the December 12 date at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Should both Benavidez and Opetaia win, their brewing rivalry becomes far and away the best fight to make in the division.
