The cruiserweight division is shaping up to be one of the most exciting stories heading into 2026. On Saturday night at Ace* Mission Studios in Los Angeles, CA, live on PPV.com, WBC champion Badou Jack (29-3-3, 17 KOs) will defend his title against former champion Noel Mikaelian (27-3, 12 KOs) in a rematch of their tightly contested fight in May. Despite the high stakes, Mikaelian is confident going into the rematch with Jack, feeling much more prepared this time with a full training camp behind him.
In their May fight, Mikaelian and Jack went back and forth for 12 rounds, and even after the decision was awarded to Jack, fans had a feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time these two fighters shared the ring. Mikaelian told FightsATW that he watched the fight back multiple times and reached the same conclusion: he felt he had won.
“Obviously, I wasn’t 100% there because I had a very short camp and it was at five in the morning, which is my actual sleep time,” Mikaelian told FightsATW. “I didn’t have time for cardio and endurance training for the basics, which showed in the middle rounds, but I came back in the later rounds. This time, I have a full, professional camp, and it will be a completely different story. I still won the fight, don’t get me wrong, but the things mentioned are ones that I had to work on during this camp for the rematch.”
While some fighters may dwell on their losses, Mikaelian brushed them off and kept moving forward. Mikaelian said that he is used to the politics of boxing deciding the outcome of his fights. He noted that the first time was in 2017 against Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, which ended in a split decision loss, and the next time was in 2018 against Mairis Briedis, who won by unanimous decision. The Briedis fight was at the World Boxing Super Series, and Mikaelian felt that he “clearly” won.
“I don’t take it too emotionally,” said Mikaelian. “I understand it’s business more than it is a sport. I take it as a business, and you can’t satisfy everyone with your performance. There is more behind the curtain than people are aware of, and I know what is going on there, which is why I don’t take it personally. You gotta move on. Win, lose, or draw, you can’t have your head down or up, but straight.”
This will be the first time since 2017 that Mikaelian fights twice in one calendar year. Mikaelian has gone through his fair share of managers and promoters because he felt they didn’t share his vision, which is why he has been mostly inactive over the last eight years. Additionally, Mikaelian says he was seen as a “high risk, low reward” fight. Since the cruiserweight division isn’t as enticing as others, the purses offered weren’t enough to attract potential opponents for him.
Although Mikaelian felt that his relationship with boxing was inconsistent during those tough eight years, he is as motivated as ever because this fight is for the title he once held, and there’s a potential match with Jai Opetaia on the horizon. Mikaelian promises that his upcoming rematch with Jack will look different, as he was able to fully prepare this time, unlike in May when he was a last-minute opponent.
“It’s completely different in terms of preparation. Because of the time difference between Miami and London, I flew there to train for nine days and had only three sparring sessions. Afterward, I went to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) eight days in advance because of the time change. This time, I sparred for three weeks. I have way more time to prepare this time. The Cubans here in Miami have been roughing me up and have not taken it easy on me.”
As the fight approaches, both fighters have been exchanging verbal jabs online. Jack told FightsATW that if he were in front of Mikaelian, he would say that “it will hurt” when they meet in the ring on Saturday night. Mikaelian laughed when he heard the comment and said, “He was saying that the first time we fought in Riyadh, and I made him swallow his words. If he couldn’t beat me at my worst, I don’t know how he can beat me at my best. Talk is cheap.”
In the end, they will have to settle it when they meet in the ring on Saturday, December 11 live on PPV.com from Ace* Mission Studios in L.A. Mikaelian had a message for those who will see the fight live or on PPV. “They will witness a great fight,” said Mikaelian. “They will see two great champions battling it out for the WBC cruiserweight championship; me dominating over 12 rounds and securing my crown.” We are just days away from finding out whether Mikaelian can reclaim the WBC title or if Jack will be the one to move on to bigger fights.
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