In a surprise move, just days after his promoter Don King announced that he had reached an agreement with Sampson Lewkowicz, promoter of David Benavidez, for a world title unification bout, WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian accepted Zuffa Boxing’s offer to face Australian star Jai Opetaia on September 12. The Armenian fighter’s decision could trigger a series of legal disputes.
Mikaelian first won the WBC title in 2023 by stopping Congolese veteran Ilunga Makabu in just three rounds. He lost the belt in 2025 following a highly controversial decision against Badou Jack, only to reclaim it later that year in their rematch.
Talks between Mikaelian and Opetaia’s team had actually begun quite some time ago, but the WBC stepped in by ordering its champion to unify with WBO and WBA titleholder David Benavidez. Many observers viewed the move by Mauricio Sulaiman’s organization as a blatant snub to Dana White and Zuffa Boxing. It is extremely rare for the WBC to order one of its champions to pursue a unification bout with the titleholder of another sanctioning body, leading many to conclude that Sulaiman simply wanted to keep Opetaia out of boxing’s inner circle.
Apparently, however, Zuffa Boxing was willing to dig deeper into its pockets, offering Mikaelian a purse higher than what he would have earned against Benavidez. That was enough to persuade the Armenian to ignore the WBC’s order and go against his own promoter, the ageless Don King, who, at nearly 95 years old, continues to influence the international boxing scene.
It now appears highly likely that the WBC will strip Mikaelian of its title. Sulaiman could elevate current interim champion Michal Cieslak to full champion before ordering him to face Benavidez, or alternatively declare the belt vacant and have the two fight directly for the championship.
The increasingly complicated situation could therefore result in at least two legal battles. Mikaelian could sue the WBC if he believes his removal as champion is unjustified, while Don King could take legal action against his own fighter for breaching their contractual agreement by accepting White’s offer without his approval.
Zuffa Boxing’s arrival on the international boxing scene continues to generate controversy. It is worth remembering that Jai Opetaia himself has already filed a lawsuit against the IBF, arguing that he was stripped of his world title on what he considers questionable grounds. The International Boxing Federation removed its belt from Opetaia because his title defense against American Brandon Glanton also featured the Zuffa Championship on the line, and IBF regulations prohibit its champions from unifying with titles awarded by organizations it does not recognize.
The bout between Opetaia and Mikaelian will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as part of the undercard of Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn. In typical Zuffa Boxing fashion, the company is already promoting the contest as the “World Cruiserweight Championship,” even though it is almost certain that no universally recognized world title will be at stake.
The winner, however, will walk away with The Ring championship and the Zuffa championship—titles whose prestige is, at the very least, open to debate today—and will also be able to claim the status of lineal cruiserweight champion, a distinction Opetaia earned by defeating Mairis Briedis in 2024 and has retained ever since by remaining undefeated.