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.

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.

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'