Having captured the unified cruiserweight world titles, David Benavidez is seeking another opponent that could further improve his growing reputation. However, one of his divisional rivals is claiming that ‘The Mexican Monster’ is holding up their potential fight.
Benavidez dominated and stopped Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in his cruiserweight debut last month, capturing the unified WBA and WBO titles with a round six knockout that is being labelled as a performance of the year candidate.
Since then, Benavidez’s planned return to light-heavyweight, and fight with Dmitry Bivol, has become less likely, with such an impressive display at 200lbs appearing to encourage Benavidez to remain at his new weight.
In that new division, Jai Opetaia seems to be the name that fans are keen for him to face, despite him recently being stripped of the IBF world title, but the Aussie knockout artist has shared his confusion at the apparent inability to make the fight, in a clip captured by MMA Crazy.
“Man, I would love that fight. I have been chasing these unifications for such a long time now, so to get one over the line would be awesome.
“I am just waiting, that fight is easy to make on our side, so I don’t know what the hold up is on theirs.”
Whilst Benavidez-Opetaia is deemed to be the most intriguing clash at cruiserweight, it seems as though Benavidez will next take on WBC world champion, Noel Mikaelian.
The Armenian was ordered to face the Arizona-born pound-for-pound star earlier this month, in a first and mandatory defence of his title.