Jai Opetaia defeats Noel Mikaelian to retain cruiserweight titles

At the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Jai Opetaia defeated Noel Mikaelian via ninth-round TKO to retain his Ring and Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight titles. Opetaia improved his undefeated record to 31-0. Despite Mikaelian landing a significant right hand in the seventh round that briefly disrupted Opetaia’s rhythm, the Australian regained control and finished the fight with a hard combination in the ninth.

Following the bout, cruiserweight champion David Benavidez entered the ring to challenge Opetaia. The two fighters verbally agreed to a showdown on Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2027. Benavidez, who holds the WBA and WBO titles, expressed respect for Opetaia while asserting, “there can only be one monster in this weight division.”

On the same undercard, heavyweight Da’Mazion Vanhouter secured a first-round knockout against Raphael Akpejiori. Vanhouter, who improved to 13-0, continued the attack despite a brief scare involving a potential shoulder injury during the opening minute.