Opetaia Calls Out Benavidez After Mikaelian Bout Set

Jai Opetaia will face Noel Mikaelian on the undercard of Ryan Garcia versus Conor Benn in Las Vegas on September 12, Bad Left Hook reports, though the matchup faces immediate legal threats from promoter Don King.

Opetaia used the announcement to challenge David Benavidez directly. "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 unbeaten Australian said. Opetaia holds the Zuffa Boxing and Ring Magazine cruiserweight titles and carries a 30-0 record with 23 knockouts.

Don King Lawsuit Reportedly Looming Over Mikaelian Fight

Mikaelian is contracted to King and was ordered by the WBC to face Benavidez in a forced unification. Per Dan Rafael, King will likely file suit to block the Opetaia bout, following the same playbook he has deployed for decades when his fighters attempt to compete outside his control. The WBC ordered Mikaelian to defend his belt against Benavidez more than 60 days ago, but no formal offer materialized.

"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," Anthony Girges, Mikaelian's advisor, said in the release. Mikaelian, who is 28-3 with 12 knockouts, has not fought since December 2025.

Michal Cieslak holds the WBC interim cruiserweight title after stopping Jean Pascal last year. He could be elevated to full champion or matched with Benavidez for a vacant strap if the sanctioning body strips Mikaelian for taking the Opetaia fight. The Opetaia-Mikaelian bout is scheduled for the T-Mobile Arena alongside the Garcia-Benn main event.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian joins Garcia vs Benn on September 12th