David Benavidez vs Noel Mikaelian Cruiserweight Unification Fight Is Being Targeted For November 21

Make FightsATW Your Preferred Combat Sports Source

Enjoy our boxing and wrestling coverage? Add Fights Around The World as a Preferred Source on Google so our latest stories can show up more often in your Top Stories.

Add FightsATW on Google

One of the biggest fights in the cruiserweight division is close to being finalized, according to Boxing Scene’s Lance Pugmire. Sources have now revealed to FightsATW that the fight between WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion David Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) and WBC champion Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) is targeted for November 21, with the location to be determined. The fight has the potential to land on the East Coast, according to sources, but being held out West in California or in Las Vegas is not out of the question.

On Wednesday, Pugmire wrote the following in his article:

“Sampson Lewkowicz and Don King participated in an extended conversation Wednesday morning in an effort to strike an agreement, with Lewkowicz telling BoxingScene he expects “to make a deal shortly.”

This comes weeks after the WBC ordered Mikaelian to fight Benavidez, following the latter’s formal petition to the sanctioning body for the fight, as he is currently the WBC light heavyweight champion. The WBC then approved the request, and negotiations began.

The WBC’s ordering of the fight sent social media into a frenzy, as reports claimed that Jai Opetaia had an agreement to fight Mikaelian. However, the WBC cruiserweight champion’s promoter, Don King, was not on board, putting the fight at risk. After the WBC made their decision, Mikaelian and his team decided to honor the order rather than be stripped of the title.

Now it appears we are days away, if not hours, from Benavidez vs. Mikaelian being announced as a fight scheduled for November 21 (working date). The fight would be a PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) PPV event.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is a 2x award-winning writer, International Boxing Hall of Fame voter, founder and publisher of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms, including online, network TV, and promotional companies. He is an alumnus of an American Public University and a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, and contributed to The Ring Magazine, FanSidedMMA, and ProBoxTV.

See author's posts