Opetaia stops Mikaelian in Las Vegas and agrees to fight Benavidez
Australian boxer Jai Opetaia defeated Noel Mikaelian in a cruiserweight bout in Las Vegas, United States, stopping his opponent in the ninth round. As ABC News Australia reports, after the fight Opetaia and American boxer David Benavidez agreed to face each other on May 5, 2027, in Las Vegas.
Stoppage in the ninth round
Opetaia improved his professional record to 31 wins without a defeat. In the ninth round, he landed a short right hook on Mikaelian, leaving his opponent stunned. The Australian continued the attack with three punches, pinning Mikaelian against the ropes, after which the referee began the count. Mikaelian was unable to beat it.
It was the first stoppage defeat of the German-Armenian boxer's career. Before facing Opetaia, he had 28 wins and three close losses. Mikaelian entered the ring as the WBC champion, but Opetaia will likely not win that belt because the organization is unwilling to sanction the bout under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
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Agreement with Benavidez
Benavidez watched the fight from ringside. After his victory, Opetaia invited the American into the ring and proposed a bout. Benavidez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight belts, agreed to the date of May 5 next year. Opetaia said that he respects his opponent and considers this fight the best option to arrange.
Benavidez is due to defend his titles in December. His opponent could be WBC number-one contender Michał Cieślak, who may receive full champion status in that organization under certain conditions. In that case, Benavidez could potentially also hold the WBC belt before the fight with Opetaia.
After the bout, Opetaia was taken to hospital for examinations as a precautionary measure. In the first round, he clashed heads with Mikaelian and suffered swelling around his left eye. Zuffa Boxing head Dana White noted that a possible fight between Opetaia and Benavidez is appealing regardless of the title situation.
