Jai Opetaia became the first opponent to stop Noel Mikaelian in the co-main event Saturday in Las Vegas.
Following the win, Opetaia was joined in the ring by current unified cruiserweight champion David Benavidez.
The two men agreed to face each other next May 2027 in Las Vegas to the delight of fans at the T-Mobile Arena.
The co-main event delivered a win for Jai Opetaia in the ring, and thrilled fans with news of a unification superfight next May in Las Vegas. Start making your travel plans now.
First things first. Opetaia did what no one had yet managed to do: stop Noel Mikaelian.

#opetaia #main

Jai Opetaia scored a brutal technical knockout win in the ninth round of his cruiserweight clash with Noel Mikaelian on Saturday night, then lined up a potentially massive showdown with pound-for-pound star David Benavidez for Cinco de Mayo next year.
It all went down at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena on the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn undercard, and provided the sport with something it has lacked — continuity — in a 200-pound division often overlooked in favor of the traditionally more glamorous weight classes that surround it.
Opetaia walked to the ring sweating, as if he'd warmed up with intent to hurt, and he needed no second invitation to land the first punch of the night. He kept his forearms high to thwart Mikaelian's probing punches, throwing single shots in return, mostly to the head and to the body too. But a clash of heads, likely caused by their opposing stances, appeared to open a cut below Opetaia's eye, slowing The Ring champion's momentum.
IS THIS FINALLY GOING TO HAPPEN ⁉️

See y'all next Cinco de Mayo 👀#GarciaBenn pic.twitter.com/rzWlLyVCzN
Whether it was the bruising that had begun to grow, or the loss of his friend and former trainer Louis Meehan, who was shot dead Wednesday in a Sydney suburb, Opetaia seemed momentarily subdued.

#mayo #next

Jai Opetaia defended his ****** les with a nasty ninth round standing knockout over Noel Mikaelyan but the bigger moment may have come just a few minutes later when he stared down David Benavidez in hopes of setting up a showdown between them next year.
As the top cruiserweight in the sport, it was no surprise tha Opetaia got the job done on Saturday as he chipped away at Mikaelyan until he finally got the finish. But then Opetaia invited Benavidez into the ring and the two fighters showed nothing but respect and agreed it's time for them to meet in the ring for real.
"He's done a lot for the sport," Opetaia said about Benavidez. "What better fight to make. Let's get it on."
For his part, Benavidez was quick to accept that challenge with hopes that he can add yet another ****** le to his resume in the near future.
"There can only be one monster in this division," Benavidez said. "I'm the person they call when you've got to kill the boogeyman."

#opetaia #ring #noel

Uncrowned has Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn live results, round-by-round updates, ring walks, highlights and start time for the Garcia vs. Benn fight card on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Two of boxing's biggest and most polarizing stars go head-to-head as Ryan Garcia defends his WBC welterweight ******* le against Conor Benn in the night's main event.
Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) captured the WBC welterweight ******* le with a dominant unanimous decision win over Mario Barrios this past February in Las Vegas. He has two defeats: a 2025 decision loss to Rolando "Rolly" Romero for the WBA welterweight ******* le and a seventh-round TKO at the hands of Gervonta "Tank" Davis in 2023.
Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) narrowly fell short against Chris Eubank Jr. in a Fight of the Year in April 2025. He avenged that defeat last November, knocking down Eubank twice in Round 12 to seal a masterclass performance.
Benn shocked the boxing world this past February by announcing a defection from Eddie Hearn's Matchroom to Dana White's Zuffa Boxing. Benn outpointed Regis Prograis in his Zuffa debut in April.
In the night's co-feature, former two-time IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) challenges WBC champion Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs). Although there is no official confirmation yet, the WBC cruiserweight ******* le isn't expected to be on the line, with Mikalian set to be stripped by the sanctioning body upon the start of the bout.

#garcia #vegas

Zuffa Boxing's biggest card to date is now official after Ryan Garciaand Conor Benn made weight for their welterweight ***** le clash.

The 12-round headliner will see Garcia, the World Boxing Councilwelterweight champion, look to defend against Benn. Both men madeweight without issue despite speculation that Benn would struggleto hit his mark. All other fighters on the card also made weight,including Zuffa cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, who will takeon Noel Mikaelian.

Garcia (25-2) enters the fight having defeated Mario Barrios toclaim the WBC ***** le. This bounceback performance came after "KingRy" failed to dethrone Rolando Romero for the WBA belt last year.Garcia officially weighed 145.5 pounds for the ***** le defense.

Looking to cause an upset is Benn (26-1), whose only career defeatcame to Chris Eubank Jr. last year. However, the British superstarwon the rematch and then defeated Regis Prograis in his latestouting. Benn weighed 146 pounds on the dot.

The Zuffa Boxing Benn vs. Garcia event will stream live onParamount+. The main card starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
RyanGarcia (145.5) vs. Conor Benn (146)
Champ Jai Opetaia (199) vs. Noel Mikaelian (200)
Raphael Akpejiori (246) vs. Da'Mazion Vanhouter (231.5)
Andres Cortes (135) vs. Mark Magsayo (134.5)
Oswaldo Molina (131.5) vs. Pablo Rubio Jr. (131)
Abel Gonzalez (167.5) vs. Raul Salomon (167)
Dakota Linger (150.5) vs. Vlad Panin (151.5)
Jose Ramirez (146.5) vs. Alexis Rocha (146.5)
Sean Garcia (134) vs. AbrahamMorales (134)

#garcia #boxing #opetaia

WBC Welterweight champion, Ryan Garcia, and British bruiser, Conor Benn, will finally settle their issues this Saturday night (Sept. 12, 2026) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada streaming live on Paramount+. Before then, however, they have to weigh in to make sure they make the 147-pound limit. In the co-main event of the evening, Jai Opetaia will defend his Zuffa Boxing and The Ring Cruiserweight ****** les against WBC 200-pound champion, Noel Mikaelian.
See the official live stream in the embedded video player above live at 12:00 p.m. ET.
147 lbs.: Ryan Garcia () vs. Conor Benn (146)
200 lbs.: Jai Opetaia () vs. Noel Mikaelian (200)
135 lbs.: Mark Magsayo () vs. Andres Cortes ()
Heavyweight: Damazion Vanhouter () vs. Raphael Akpejiori ()
130 lbs.: Oswaldo Molina () vs. Pablo Rubio ()
168 lbs.: Abel Gonzalez () vs. Raul Salomon ()
154 lbs.: Vlad Panin () vs. Dakota Linger ()
147 lbs.: Jose Ramirez () vs. Alex Rocha ()
147 lbs.: Sean Garcia () vs. Abraham Morales ()
To checkout the latest Zuffa boxing-related news and notes click here.

#noel #mikaelian

Colby Covington may not be all done in MMA.
Despite announcing his retirement in May, the former UFC **** le challenger is still leaving the door open for another go in the octagon. Covington revealed to MMA Junkie that the main reason he retired was so he could aggressively pursue his wrestling career in Real American Freestyle – something he couldn't do as an active UFC fighter.
Covington is 4-0 under RAF and recently claimed the inaugural RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship with a win over top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan.
"I'm technically retired, technically, but that was just the red proverbial tape I needed to get by so I could get the biggest matchups in RAF," Covington told MMA Junkie. "Everybody knows my first love and passion was always wrestling. My dad got me into wrestling as a kid; it was a family business. He wrestled his whole life. His family, his dad wrestled, so I was just following in the lineage of the generations, following the family tree in the wrestling business. It was always my first true love and passion."
Covington's retirement from MMA might've surprised some, as he was looking to fight at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House in June. But with him not getting a spot on the card and not seeing interesting matchups outside of fighting at the White House, Covington just thought it would make more sense to focus on RAF, where he's also an investor.

#covington #House

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing recently finalized its Aug. 29 fight card for the BKB 58 event on Sat. night (Aug. 29, 2026) at James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. Topping the promotion's return to "The Sunshine State" is BKB Heavyweight Champion Gustavo Trujillo, who collides with former BKB and BKFC heavyweight ****** leholder Mick Terrill on super short notice.
Elsewhere on the card, Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa makes his bare knuckle debut opposite well-traveled boxing veteran Yesner Talavera at Super Lightweight, not long after Alberto Blas defends his Super Featherweight strap against Brandon Birr. In addition, Cuban boxing sensation Yunieski Gonzalez collides with Welsh warrior Ethan George for the vacant BKB Cruiserweight crown.
Former UFC ****** le contender Aspen Ladd makes her Trigon debut against Brazilian bruiser Bianca Daimoni on the BKB 58 main card, which airs live at 8 p.m. ET on VICE TV. BKB 58's four-fight preliminary card featuring Rudy Mora, Taylor Bull, Darrian Leu-Pierre and more, will stream live and free on the promotion's TikTok channel.
Here's the finalized BKB 58 fight card and streaming lineup:
Heavyweight: Gustavo Trujillo (c) vs. Mick Terrill
Super Lightweight: Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Yesner Talavera
Super Featherweight: Alberto Blas (c) vs. Brandon Birr
Cruiserweight: Yunieski Gonzalez vs. Ethan George for vacant Cruiserweight ****** le
Cruiserweight: Uly Diaz vs. Gilberto Fuentes
Super Featherweight: Yampier Ramirez vs. Triston Harrison
Super Lightweight: Aspen Ladd vs. Bianca Daimoni
Super Welterweight: Roberto Duran Jr. vs. Ryan Spivey

#featherweight #boxing

With a three-belt unification against Noel Mikaelian off the table for now, Mike Coppinger reports that David Benavidez will return to action on December 12th. Coppinger "expect[s]" him to meet interim WBC cruiserweight champion Michal Cieslak, confirming an earlier report from Abraham Gonzalez, who claims it will land in the "area" of Benavidez's birthplace of Phoenix, Arizona.
Cieslak (28-2, 22 KO), whose only pro losses came in ******* le bids against Ilunga Makabu and Lawrence Okolie, mollywhopped the remains of Jean Pascal two Junes ago for his seventh consecutive victory since falling to Okolie in 2022. He's not a particularly glamorous opponent and doesn't have the deepest body of work outside of faded vets like Pascal, Olanrewaju Durodola, and Youri Kayembre Kalenga, but he's a solid operator and hasn't gone the distance in victory since 2018.
Benavidez (32-0, 26 KO) made short work of "Zurdo" Ramirez in his cruiserweight debut to claim the WBA and WBO ******* les. He then flexed his status as reigning WBC light heavyweight champion to push for a rare mandatory unification against Mikaelian. Sampson Lewkowicz and Don King claim to have worked out a deal, but Mikaelian elected to try his luck with Zuffa instead, which I'm still convinced will result in a lawsuit.
Thus, a kinda-palatable ******* le defense. Maybe next time.

#benavidez

It'll soon be back-to-back U.S. appearances for Australia's Jai Opetaia, who has landed the co-feature slot on one of the biggest boxing cards in 2026.
Opetaia, the reigning Zuffa cruiserweight champion, will defend his ****** le against Noel Mikaelian on the Sept. 12 Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn undercard at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas.
Mikaelian is the reigning WBC cruiserweight world champion. The status of that ****** le was not clarified in Tuesday's announcement, although Mikaelian did ****** ert his intention to defend his crown.
"When I step into the ring on September 12 against Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas, I intend to defend my world championship," Mikaelian said in a press release.
Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs), a former two-time IBF cruiserweight champion, routed Brandon Glanton in his Zuffa Boxing debut in March.

#cruiserweight #champion #defend #zuffa

Despite a standing order to defend his WBC cruiserweight ***** le against David Benavidez, Noel Mikaelian will meet Jai Opetaia in the co-feature of Zuffa Boxing's Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"This is a huge card, and I look forward to showing the world once again why I'm the best cruiserweight on the planet," Opetaia said. "Credit to Noel for stepping up to the plate while others — yes, David Benavidez, I'm talking about you — continue to run and hide."
"This is a massive fight for Jai, and it's refreshing to see a top-tier cruiserweight step forward when so many continue to avoid the challenge," said Mick Francis, Opetaia's longtime manager. "He's proud to defend the Zuffa Boxing and Ring ***** les on the biggest stage."
"When I step into the ring on September 12 against Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas, I intend to defend my world championship. This is the fight I've wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I'm ready to deliver," Mikaelian said. "I haven't fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their ***** les, and that's exactly what I'm prepared to do."
It's certainly a better matchup than the Glanton fight that kicked off this whole debacle in the first place. but I personally would not put any stake in this happening. Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KO) is under contract with Don King, who remains as vexatiously litigant as ever and has a long history of quashing any attempt by his fighters to compete outside of his purview. Dan Rafael reports that King, who'd reached a deal with Benavidez promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, will follow his usual M.O. and "likely" file suit.

#opetaia

Boxer Jai Opetaia has started legal action in the United States to force the IBF to hand back the cruiserweight world ****** le.
The Australian claims the sanctioning body acted unlawfully when it stripped him of his belt following his first fight with promotional outfit Zuffa Boxing.
Opetaia filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Nevada seeking to have his ****** le reinstated, recover damages and legal costs, and prevent the IBF from naming another cruiserweight champion while the litigation continues.
The IBF declined to comment, with a spokesperson telling BBC Sport: "We will release a statement when it is appropriate."
The 19-page complaint - obtained by BBC Sport - claims rival governing bodies have discouraged champions from facing him, citing David Benavidez's decision not to pursue a fight after Opetaia was stripped and alleging the WBC threatened to strip Noel Mikaelian if he agreed to face the Australian instead.

#opetaia #district #sport #stripped

Canelo Alvarez has suggested he will never box David Benavidez, saying “it’s not fair” that the Mexican-American fights in the weight classes he occupies.
Fans have long desired a showdown between Mexico’s Canelo, a former four-weight world champion, and Benavidez, a three-weight world champion, with many accusing Canelo of “ducking” the 29-year-old.
Canelo has held ***** les at super-welterweight, middleweight, super-middleweight, and even light-heavyweight, while Benavidez has held gold at super-middleweight, light-heavyweight and cruiserweight.
Benavidez was even the WBC mandatory challenger to Canelo at super-middleweight for more than two years, without obtaining a fight with the 36-year-old. Benavidez thus moved up to light-heavyweight and, most recently, cruiserweight, where he took the WBA and WBO belts from Gilberto Ramirez with a stoppage win in May.
But Canelo has said he does not care about suggestions that he has avoided Benavidez, telling journalist Ariel Helwani: “I’m not worried because I did everything. I did everything in boxing. I accomplished everything in boxing, and I have nothing to prove, but yes, I will miss boxing a lot [when I retire].

#super #middleweight #light #everything

Real American Freestyle (RAF) recently created a “Crossover Championship” **** le for those athletes crossing over from other sports to compete on the RAF wrestling mats. The new belt will debut as part of the RAF 11 lineup this weekend (July 18) at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, where UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan tangles with former UFC welterweight Colby Covington.
They are competing to be the champion of combatants who “cross over” but in the case of Covington, he’s not crossing back, having recently been released from his UFC contract. At the very least, it will be an opportunity for “Chaos” to win his first **** le after going 0-3 in fights for the undisputed UFC strap. Similarly, this will be the first **** le shot for Tsarukyan after “Ahalkalakets” botched his UFC 311 headliner back in early 2025.
This weekend’s headliner will be contested at catchweight for the cruiserweight championship.
Here’s their first face off:
RAF 11 streams exclusively on FOX Nation.

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) is considering introducing a new division to bridge the largest gap between weight classes in the sport.
The BBBofC's proposed new division, men's light cruiserweight, would carry an 185-pound weight limit, meaning it would sit between the 175-pound light heavyweight division and the 200-pound cruiserweight division.
The proposal is still in the early stages of consideration. The BBBofC's General Secretary, Robert W. Smith, sent an email to license holders recently asking for their thoughts.
"One of the reasons is the present 25 lbs between 12 st 7 lbs [light heavyweight] and 14 st 4 lbs [cruiserweight] which is the largest of all divisions. The fact that "modern-day" athletes are larger, stronger, etc., the Stewards feel this would be a significant change in relation to health and safety."
The BBBofC is one of the premier governing bodies in the sport of boxing. Its directives, particularly those pertaining to health and safety, have historically been influential beyond the UK.

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing today announced a landmark partnership with Zanfer Promotions, Latin America's premier boxing promoter, which kicks off with BKB's first-ever fight card in Mexico on Sept. 19 in Tijuana. Headlining the card will be BKB Super Cruiserweight Champion Julian Fernandez, who was born and raised in Tijuana.
Fernandez, 32, is the son of former pro fighter Pedro "Pitbull" Fernandez.
"Mexico is one of the most important boxing markets in the world, and there is no better partner to enter it with than Zanfer Promotions," said BKB CEO David Tetreault. "Their history speaks for itself. Together we are bringing bare knuckle boxing to a country that lives and breathes this sport. Launching with a world ****** le on the line, with Julian Fernandez defending his championship in front of Mexican fans, is exactly the statement we want to make as we plant our flag in Mexico and across Latin America."
BKB is expected to launch additional events across Latin America in the coming months.
"Bringing BKB to Mexico is a natural fit," said Fernando Beltran, Founder and President of Zanfer Promotions. "Mexican fans demand the very best in combat sports, and BKB delivers a raw, world class product unlike anything else in the market. To partner on a championship night of this caliber, and to do it in Tijuana on September 19, makes it all the more special for our fans. This is only the beginning of what we will build together."

Boxing: How to watch David Benavidez vs. ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez

WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez 31-0 (25 KOs) will attempt to win a world **** le in a third weight class when he toes the line with WBO and WBA cruiserweight king Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez 48-1-0 (30 KOs) on Saturday in Las Vegas. A brief rundown for those who want to watch the show:
The broadcast of Benavidez vs. Ramirez will air live in the United States on Amazon Prime PPV and Dazn PPV for $79.99. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with the main event tentatively scheduled for 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT. You can catch it here: on Prime or Dazn
The broadcast of Benavidez vs. Ramirez will air live in the United Kingdom on Dazn PPV. Coverage begins at 10 p.m. BST, with the main event tentatively scheduled for 4:30 a.m. BST. You can catch it here: Fury vs. Makhmudov on Netflix

A look at the complete Benavidez vs. Ramirez card as of April 30, 2026:

WBA and WBO Cruiserweight **** le: David Benavidez vs. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez
WBA Super-Middleweight **** le: Jose Resendiz vs. Jaime Munguia
Oscar Duarte vs. Angel Barrera
Isaac Lucero vs. Alan Gutierrez
Jorge Chavez vs. **** o Sanchez

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