OPETAIA STOPS MIKAELIAN, SETS UP POTENTIAL BENAVIDEZ BOUT

Jai Opetaia defeated Noel Mikaelian by ninth-round stoppage at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. Opetaia dominated the contest, winning virtually every round before the finish. Following the victory, Opetaia and David Benavidez agreed in a post-fight face-off to meet in May of next year, with Benavidez proposing the bout take place on Cinco De Mayo.

Benavidez holds the WBC light heavyweight title and previously won the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles after stopping Gilberto Ramirez inside six rounds. Opetaia's victory over Mikaelian came after the WBC declined to sanction its cruiserweight belt for that contest, though the vacant WBC cruiserweight title is reported to be at stake in Benavidez's next scheduled fight. Benavidez is expected to return to action before the end of the year against Michal Cieslak in December.

The proposed May meeting between Opetaia and Benavidez would represent a significant cruiserweight clash should both fighters remain active and undefeated in the intervening months. Benavidez stated that only one fighter could hold the status of "monster" in the division, and noted both competitors favoured an aggressive fighting style. The bout would bring together two of the division's leading contenders for what both camps described as a substantial test.