Opetaia and Mikaelian set for Sept 12 co feature in Vegas

Two of boxing's top cruiserweights will meet in a high-stakes unification bout this fall. Jai Opetaia, the reigning Ring magazine and Zuffa Boxing champion, will face two-time world champion Noel Mikaelian on Saturday, September 12, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will serve as the co-main event to Ryan Garcia's first defense of the WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn. The entire card will stream on Paramount at no additional cost to subscribers in most global markets, with pay-per-view availability on DAZN in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The matchup proceeds despite a complex sanctioning body dispute. Mikaelian currently holds the WBC cruiserweight title, which he won from Badou Jack by unanimous decision in Los Angeles in December 2025. However, on May 29, the WBC ordered Mikaelian to make a mandatory defense against David Benavidez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles along with the WBC light heavyweight championship. The order, described by some observers as nearly unprecedented for pitting champions from rival organizations against each other, was framed by the WBC around Mikaelian's inactivity and a breakdown in negotiations.