David Benavidez vs. Jai Opetaia - Who wins?

[Ruthless-RKO]

David Benavidez urges Dana White to help facilitate Jai Opetaia fight

David Benavidez and Jai Opetaia stated Saturday night that they want to fight each other.

Benavidez also suggested after his sixth-round knockout of Gilberto Ramirez that it’ll take a third man to ensure that boxing's two best cruiserweights fight sometime in the foreseeable future.

The newly crowned WBA/WBO champ wants confirmation from UFC president and CEO Dana White, the face of Zuffa Boxing, that the emerging promotional company is willing to work with his handlers to facilitate a fight against Opetaia.

“I think Dana White has showed that he doesn’t want to do fights with PBC, DAZN,” Benavidez said during his post-fight press conference at T-Mobile Arena. “I don’t want to sound like I’m disrespecting [White], but that’s just what it looks like from the outside. If we could come to an agreement and make a big fight, let’s do it.”

Benavidez has long been promoted by Sampson Lewkowicz’s Sampson Boxing. The three-division champion has also worked with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions for most of his 12-year career.

Australia’s Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) made his Zuffa Boxing debut March 8, when he soundly beat Brandon Glanton (21-4, 18 KOs) on points at Meta APEX, UFC’s performance center in Las Vegas.

Zuffa’s well-documented disagreement with the IBF resulted in the New Jersey-based sanctioning organization stripping Opetaia of its title. Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) told The Ring before he dominated Mexico’s Ramirez (48-2, 30 KOs) that he was less interested in opposing Opetaia once the IBF stripped him because he wants to become undisputed champion in the 200-pound division.

The Phoenix native seemed more open to testing himself against Opetaia after he scored two knockdowns and overwhelmed Ramirez with power, speed and volume in his cruiserweight debut.

“I think that’s the biggest fight in the world, especially at this weight division,” Benavidez said. “That’s definitely a fight I want. I’m not scared of nobody. This is Monstruo’s world, and if he wants to get that fight, we can. I don’t know why he went to Zuffa. We could've made this fight right after this one [with Ramirez]. But now, I don’t know if he got stripped by the IBF or what it is. I’m not going to go over there and fight for a Zuffa title.”

Zuffa’s leadership group ultimately wants its titles to become more important to fighters than the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO belts. Benavidez and others have emphasized, however, that attaining undisputed status remains important to them in the four-belt era.

Benavidez, 29, nevertheless would love to prove himself against Opetaia, who holds The Ring and Zuffa crowns.

He expects to move back down to the light heavyweight limit of 175 pounds for his next fight, which he hopes comes against unified champ Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs).

Russia’s Bivol, who owns The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBO belts, dropped to No. 6 pound-for-pound by The Ring in the latest rankings to be released Monday afternoon — one spot behind the rising Benavidez.

Opetaia, meanwhile, could defend his Ring and Zuffa titles against the winner between former WBO champ Chris Billam-Smith (21-2, 13 KOs) and Canadian contender Ryan Rozicki (21-1-1, 20 KOs). They will make their Zuffa debuts in a 12-round bout June 6 in Bournemouth, England, Billam-Smith’s hometown.

“I think that would be a great fight to make in the future,” Benavidez said of facing Opetaia.

“I respect Jai Opetaia a lot. He’s a great fighter and I think he has to come back over here to make these fights happen, because we can’t make no fights in Zuffa.”

[Syntax Error]

If Benavidez drops back down to 175, then comes back to 200, I would favour Opetaia.

If Benavidez stays at 200, I would narrowly pick him, but not with full confidence.

Opetaia is the real deal and he's a proper fully fledged Cruiser; he would be Benavidez's best ever opponent, but, Benavidez would probably be Opetaia's best ever opponent too.

[goose 5]

I'd take Opetaia to win. The best match in boxing right now, imo.

[Taansend]

Other than Briedis, what is Opetaia's best win?

He's looked great against C level opposition and, while he did beat Briedis twice, he was looking very ragged in their 2nd bout after a great start.

I ain't dissing him. I'm just not sold on him yet.

Saying that, I don't know who wins this bout. Ramirez fought the completely wrong fight the other night but was that a machismo thing or did Benavidez make him fight that way?

Opetaia does not like pressure & David brings plenty of that. But can he fight like that for 12 rounds?

So many questions but we'll not get the answer because Zuffa.

[gilgamesh]

Benavidez would kick his ass. It'll take a High ranking Heavyweight to challenge him, unless he's foolish enough to make the same mistake Roy Jones did and go back down to Light Heavyweight.

[gilgamesh]

Other than Briedis, what is Opetaia's best win?

He's looked great against C level opposition and, while he did beat Briedis twice, he was looking very ragged in their 2nd bout after a great start.

I ain't dissing him. I'm just not sold on him yet.

Saying that, I don't know who wins this bout. Ramirez fought the completely wrong fight the other night but was that a machismo thing or did Benavidez make him fight that way?

Opetaia does not like pressure & David brings plenty of that. But can he fight like that for 12 rounds?

So many questions but we'll not get the answer because Zuffa.

It's probably to Jai's benefit that he can't fight Benavidez right now actually. It'll be more lucrative in about 4 or 5 years when they're both Heavyweights.

[Taansend]

Other than Briedis, what is Opetaia's best win?

He's looked great against C level opposition and, while he did beat Briedis twice, he was looking very ragged in their 2nd bout after a great start.

I ain't dissing him. I'm just not sold on him yet.

Saying that, I don't know who wins this bout. Ramirez fought the completely wrong fight the other night but was that a machismo thing or did Benavidez make him fight that way?

Opetaia does not like pressure & David brings plenty of that. But can he fight like that for 12 rounds?

So many questions but we'll not get the answer because Zuffa.

It's probably to Jai's benefit that he can't fight Benavidez right now actually. It'll be more lucrative in about 4 or 5 years when they're both Heavyweights.

Possibly but by then who the fornicate knows what may have happened.

Australia might discover vast oil fields in the Outback & the US might have to 'liberate' the people there from their evil leaders. The Straights of Sydney might be closed & the fight called off

[gilgamesh]

Other than Briedis, what is Opetaia's best win?

He's looked great against C level opposition and, while he did beat Briedis twice, he was looking very ragged in their 2nd bout after a great start.

I ain't dissing him. I'm just not sold on him yet.

Saying that, I don't know who wins this bout. Ramirez fought the completely wrong fight the other night but was that a machismo thing or did Benavidez make him fight that way?

Opetaia does not like pressure & David brings plenty of that. But can he fight like that for 12 rounds?

So many questions but we'll not get the answer because Zuffa.

It's probably to Jai's benefit that he can't fight Benavidez right now actually. It'll be more lucrative in about 4 or 5 years when they're both Heavyweights.

Possibly but by then who the fornicate knows what may have happened.

Australia might discover vast oil fields in the Outback & the US might have to 'liberate' the people there from their evil leaders. The Straights of Sydney might be closed & the fight called off

The Boxing World tends to continue to keep going no matter what the rest of the world is doing.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Opetaia hopes for 'dream' Benavidez fight by end of 2026

Jai Opetaia still has his sights on becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion.

The quickest path to achieving that feat would start with facing WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion David Benavidez in one of the best fights that could be made in boxing. Opetaia, The Ring cruiserweight champion, is also open to a fight with Chris Billam-Smith, which would be much easier to make with both of them being under the Zuffa Boxing banner.

However, Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) was far more enthusiastic at the prospect of facing Benavidez when asked about it during a Zuffa Boxing Q&A on Saturday in Washington, D.C.

“I'd love that fight,” Opetaia said. “I've been chasing these unification fights for such a long time now, so to get one over the line would be awesome. I'm just waiting. That fight is easy to make on our side, so I don't know what the holdup is on theirs.

Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs), The Ring’s No. 1-ranked light heavyweight and cruiserweight and No. 5-ranked fighter, became the unified cruiserweight champion and a three-division world champion with a dominant sixth-round knockout of Gilberto Ramirez. The 29-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, also holds the WBC light heavyweight title.

Benavidez isn’t short of options when it comes to his next opponent, though. He could move back down to face Dmitry Bivol in a bout that’d crown an undisputed light heavyweight champion or defend his title against former undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. Benavidez could also stay at cruiserweight and face WBC titleholder Noel Mikaelian in a unification bout after the sanctioning body named him as the mandatory challenger at the end of May.

Opetaia’s path to becoming an undisputed champion became far more difficult after his last fight, a unanimous decision victory against Brandon Glanton on March 8 in Las Vegas. The IBF stripped the southpaw from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, of the belt once he won the Zuffa Boxing belt.

While the issues that arose in the build-up and aftermath of the Glanton fight likely signal the uphill climb Opetaia faces to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion, it remains the goal he seeks and hopes to achieve sooner than later.

“We're hoping to make that dream possible by the end of the year,” Opetaia said. “That's a perfect plan, but early next year will be good. Undisputed is what I want. Any of these other belt holders want it, it's an easy fight to make. All they’ve got to do is reach out.”

[victor-romeo]

I would love to see this fight. I am not a fan of Benavidez but I think he beats Opetia because Benavidez has too much experience compared to Opetaia.

[PRINCEKOOL]

Jai Opetaia wins in my opinion; he would be just too strong, durable and powerful for David Benavidez.

Note: Skill for skill I think David Benavidez is completely overrated 'he is clearly a world level fighter. But I don't see any elite level skills, or individual attributes'.

At some point in his career, maybe sooner rather than later 'David Benavidez will come into contact with a fighter, who has a high level of durability to his punching power, and is not overhauled by his work rate. It is at this point in a fighter's career at top level when true elite level boxing skills win you fights'.

David Benavidez last fight was a great win 'but from a pure technical perspective, both Benavidez and Ramirez just stood in front of each other and threw punches. It was a low level World title fight'.

To conclude: Jai Opetaia from what I have seen thus-far in his career, hits with more proven power than Benavidez 'and he has shown an ambition to move up into the Heavyweight Divisions'.

I would not be surprised if he stopped David Benavidez inside the distance 'in a potential future fight'.

Note: I have not voted on the poll etc.

[Ruthless-RKO]

David Benavidez targets Jai Opetaia for Cinco de Mayo after expected December return home

David Benavidez is planning both a homecoming and a super-fight against fellow unbeaten cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia for his next two bouts.

Unbeaten, three-division champion Benavidez, 32-0 (26 KOs), of Phoenix is nearing agreement to pursue a third cruiserweight belt against Poland’s interim WBC 200lbs champion Michal Cieslak, 28-2 (22 KOs), atop a December 12 card in Glendale, Arizona.

The expectation is that the WBC will appoint the Benavidez-Cieslak bout as a title fight after stripping current champion Noel Mikaelian, who has bypassed a WBC defense against mandatory opponent Benavidez in favor of meeting Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia of Australia September 12 in Las Vegas.

Benavidez’s father-manager-trainer, Jose Benavidez Snr, told BS Monday that he’s in discussions with Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh for a subsequent showdown that would pit the expected winners Benavidez and Opetaia against each other in Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas.

“I told him [Alalshikh] that’s the fight [Opetaia] I want most,” Benavidez Snr told BS.

Over the weekend, Benavidez Snr shared text messages of Alalshikh expressing interest in a heavyweight fight between unbeaten former undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk and David Benavidez.

“We can get to that when we’re ready at heavyweight in three to five more fights, but if Opetaia wants to fight David, let’s get right to that, and we can do it on Cinco de Mayo weekend,” Benavidez Snr explained to BS.

By signing with Zuffa Boxing earlier this year, Opetaia, 30-0 (23 KOs), ultimately found himself stripped as IBF champion. The Australian proceeded to defeat Brandon Glanton for the Zuffa belt.

A bout with Opetaia would be interesting on the business side of boxing given that Benavidez has just one more bout remaining on his current agreement with promoter Sampson Lewkowicz.

Some industry observers assess that Zuffa Boxing went after Opetaia and this Mikaelian fight that’ll serve as co-main event to Ryan Garcia’s September 12 WBC welterweight title defense so it will be strongly positioned to lure Benavidez to the promotion that is 60% owned by Alalshikh and has a lucrative, multi-year broadcast deal with Paramount+.

Benavidez Snr said his team is pleased working with Lewkowicz and Premier Boxing Champions, saying there’ll be time enough to determine what promotion to join for 2027 and beyond.

[golden_labrador]

this is a fight for casuals like me, should do big numbers surely if advertised right. I've gone for Benavidez TKO, not sure Opetaia will cope with a top fighter in their prime, but he's got a strong puncher's chance, fo' sho'

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Evander]

For Opetaia it could go the way of Ennis v Zayas and be too early for him.

[PUGLET]

I’ve said this before…. BIVOL slices Benevidez to ribbons at any weights. Opetai vs Benevidez will be a “pick ‘em” fight and tons of fun to watch,

[Evander]

I’ve said this before…. BIVOL slices Benevidez to ribbons at any weights.

Bivol is A list for sure.
If he pure boxes Benavidez and Bivol is healthy, yes he could win.
Sometimes though, wear and tear creeps up at unexpected moments, if Benavidez weathers that tactical storm and keeps it close on the cards, he could rally late and push it across the line.
It's possible.

[Syntax Error]

Benavidez is enormous.

How he ever got down to 168 I will never know.

[Sammy Scaff]

Old fashioned pick 'em fight.
This and Inoue v Bam best ones out there for purists IMO and both look like happening in 27.

[gilgamesh]

For Opetaia it could go the way of Ennis v Zayas and be too early for him.

Too early my ass. He ain't good enough to beat Benavidez. Period.

[Sendo Takeshi]

Too early?
He is 31 years old with 31 fights... it's time to fight someone..

[gregregegg]

Is this the best fight in boxing? Pretty strong argument that it is.

Mabey bam vs inoue, boots vs Ortiz, shakur vs tank… they have an argument…. But if in doubt bigger weight is generally better in my view.

[gregregegg]

For Opetaia it could go the way of Ennis v Zayas and be too early for him.

31 years old.

31 pro fights. Became the man at the division 4 years ago with 9 fights since.

Olympian at 17 years old.

Won a jr amature world champs 15 years ago. Won a snr national amature champs 14 years ago.

Not saying he is definatly going to win… but too soon is a big call.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Benavidez said he won’t go below cruiserweight again