Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian Set As The Co-Main For Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn Event on September 12

The September 12 fight card in Las Vegas, headlined by Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn, just got even more intriguing as Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) is set to face current WBC champion Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs). The announcement was made by Zuffa Boxing in a press release that was sent out on Tuesday afternoon.

This comes hours after boxing journalist Dan Rafael tweeted the following, “Although promoters Sampson Lewkowicz & Don King made a deal for David Benavidez-Noel Mikaelian 3-belt cruiserweight unification fight for November, Mikaelian, I am told, did not agree, has (or will) sign with Zuffa (probable Opetaia opponent), & King likely will sue.  Typical #boxing.”

This puts things in a weird situation because the WBC ordered the fight between Mikaelian and unified cruiserweight champion David Benavidez. Mikaelian is moving forward as if it’s a non-issue with the WBC, but a response from the sanctioning organization will likely soon follow. Here is what Mikaelian said in a statement included in the press release.

“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 titles, and that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”

Landing the Mikaelian fight is a huge win for Opetaia, who was months overdue to defend his Ring Magazine title against a top-five Ring-ranked opponent. He was given additional time to meet the requirement and was advised that his next opponent had to be within the top five or risk being stripped of the Ring title. This fight will satisfy that obligation and reset his clock.

Opetaia is clearly motivated by this opportunity, as he gets to face another world champion (at least for now).

“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.”

If this fight goes as scheduled, it will make the Garcia-Benn card even stronger and add to the anticipation for the September 12 fight card.

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.

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