Jai Opetaia Next Fight: Benavidez, Date & How to Watch

Jai Opetaia is 31-0 after stopping Noel Mikaelian in Las Vegas, and has agreed to fight David Benavidez on Cinco de Mayo weekend in May 2027.

Jai Opetaia is 31-0 with 24 knockouts after stopping Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round in Las Vegas on 12 September 2026. Moments later he agreed, face to face in the ring, to fight David Benavidez on Cinco de Mayo weekend in May 2027. Below: where that fight stands, what he has actually won, his full recent form and how to follow him from Australia.

Jai Opetaia’s next fight

Benavidez climbed into the ring straight after the Mikaelian stoppage and proposed Cinco de Mayo. Opetaia said done, on camera. That is a genuine agreement between two fighters rather than a promotional announcement, and it is the fight the cruiserweight division has been waiting for, but no contract, broadcaster or venue has been confirmed. Benavidez is also expected to defend his own titles in December before anything is finalised.

Detail	Info
Opponent	David Benavidez
Status	Agreed in the ring. No signed contract announced.
Target date	Cinco de Mayo weekend, early May 2027
Venue	Las Vegas, expected
Records	Opetaia 31-0 (24 KO), Benavidez unbeaten
Before then	Benavidez is expected to defend his titles in December

 

What Opetaia actually holds

Worth getting right, because the cruiserweight belt picture is a mess and plenty of coverage is loose with it. Opetaia holds the Ring Magazine title, which he has had since 2022, and the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title he won from Brandon Glanton in March 2026. He holds none of the four major sanctioning belts. The WBC belt was not at stake against Mikaelian, because the WBC declined to sanction the bout after ordering Mikaelian to face Benavidez instead. So a Benavidez fight is the one that would settle the division rather than add another contested claim to it.

The broken jaw, and why Australians rate him

Opetaia’s reputation rests on one night. On 2 July 2022 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre he beat Mairis Briedis on points to win the IBF cruiserweight title, and he did it with a broken jaw. Briedis broke the left side in the third round and the right side in the eleventh. Opetaia fought to the final bell, won on all three cards, and had surgery afterwards.

He beat Briedis again in Riyadh in May 2024 to reclaim the same belt. He has since lost the IBF title twice without losing a fight: he vacated it in December 2023 rather than take a mandatory, and the IBF stripped him in March 2026 for fighting Glanton for the Zuffa title instead of an IBF-sanctioned bout. That is the paradox of his career. He is 31-0 and has never been beaten in the ring, and he has spent much of it fighting the sanctioning bodies rather than the best available opponents. A Benavidez fight would end that argument one way or the other.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has publicly rated him the best Australian boxer pound for pound, ahead of Tim Tszyu. Hearn promotes him, so weigh that accordingly, but the record does the arguing. For the other side of the Australian conversation, see our Tim Tszyu next fight page.

Recent form

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result
12 Sep 2026	Noel Mikaelian	Las Vegas	Won by TKO, round 9
8 Mar 2026	Brandon Glanton	Las Vegas	Won on points over 12
6 Dec 2025	Huseyin Cinkara	Gold Coast	Won by stoppage, round 8
8 Jun 2025	Claudio Squeo	Gold Coast	Won by knockout, round 5
8 Jan 2025	David Nyika	Gold Coast	Won by knockout
12 Oct 2024	Jack Massey	Riyadh	Won by stoppage, round 6
18 May 2024	Mairis Briedis	Riyadh	Won on points over 12

 

How to watch in Australia

No broadcaster is set for a fight that is still months away. Opetaia’s December 2025 fight was shown on Stan Sport in Australia, and the Mikaelian card ran on Paramount+ in the United States. Check Kayo, Foxtel, Stan and DAZN listings during fight week rather than relying on a preview, including ours.

Where to bet

Outright prices on a fight this far out move a long way once a contract is signed, so it pays to hold more than one account. Compare cruiserweight markets, method of victory and round betting at our top-rated Australian bookmakers, or see our best betting sites in Australia guide.

Jai Opetaia FAQs

When is Jai Opetaia’s next fight?

No date is contracted. He and David Benavidez agreed face to face in the ring on 13 September 2026 to meet on Cinco de Mayo weekend in early May 2027, and Las Vegas is the expected venue. Benavidez is set to defend his titles in December first. Treat the May date as an intention until a contract is announced.

What is Jai Opetaia’s record?

31 wins, no losses, with 24 knockouts. He has never been beaten as a professional.

What happened in the Mikaelian fight?

Opetaia stopped Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 12 September 2026, referee Harvey Dock waving it off at 1:30 after a heavy combination. He retained the Ring Magazine and Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight titles.

Did Opetaia win the WBC title?

No. The WBC declined to sanction the bout after ordering Mikaelian to face David Benavidez, so the belt was not on the line. Opetaia holds the Ring Magazine and Zuffa Boxing titles.

Is Jai Opetaia still the IBF champion?

No. He was stripped of the IBF cruiserweight title in March 2026 after fighting Brandon Glanton for the Zuffa Boxing title instead of an IBF-sanctioned bout, having earlier vacated the same belt in December 2023. He has still never lost a fight.

How old is Jai Opetaia and where is he from?

He is 31, born in Sydney in June 1995, raised on the New South Wales Central Coast and now based on the Gold Coast.

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