Opetaia Calls Out Benavidez Ahead Of Mikaelian Fight

Australian cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia challenged David Benavidez to commit to their long-discussed fight, telling ESPN he wants the American to pick a date as he prepares for his next title defense against Noel Mikaelian.

Opetaia expressed impatience with the pace of negotiations involving Benavidez, who has won belts at middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight, heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight, and interim light heavyweight. "Just give me the date and I'll be there," Opetaia said, according to the report.

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Opetaia's Path To Benavidez Clash

The unbeaten Australian holds the IBF cruiserweight strap and first needs to get past Mikaelian, his mandatory challenger. Benavidez has floated a move to cruiserweight for months but has yet to lock in specifics with any opponent at 200 pounds.

Opetaia told ESPN he remains frustrated by the back-and-forth surrounding the potential matchup. Benavidez captured a portion of the heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight crown in his last outing and has said publicly he would consider the jump to cruiserweight if the right deal materializes.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to David Benavidez vs. Michal Cieslak on Ticketmaster →

Opetaia faces Mikaelian in his next scheduled defense, with the winner expected to pursue bigger names at cruiserweight later this year.

Reported via:

• ESPN Boxing — Opetaia to Benavidez: 'Just give me the date and I'll be there'