Opetaia vs Benavidez is being discussed as a possibility next up and what a fight it would be. Let’s take a look at it briefly.
It would represent a unification fight of world titles at cruiserweight.
A coming together of two of the best cruiserweights in the world.
Let’s look at some facts at why we believe this to be one heck of a scrap if it happens.
| Factor | Fact |
|---|---|
| Championship Status | Both hold world titles at cruiserweight. Benavidez: WBA (Super) + WBO cruiserweight titles. Opetaia: IBF + The Ring cruiserweight titles |
| Unbeaten Records | Benavidez: 32–0, 26 KOs. Opetaia: 30–0, 23 KOs. Combined record: 62–0 with 49 knockouts |
| Undisputed on the Line | Winner would hold all 4 major belts — WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO — making them undisputed cruiserweight champion. Cruiserweight has not had an undisputed champion since Oleksandr Usyk in 2018. |
| Three-Division vs Career Cruiserweight | Benavidez is a three-division champion: super middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight. Opetaia has campaigned at cruiserweight since his pro debut in 2015. |
| Activity & Form | Last 5 fights: Benavidez 5–0 with 3 stoppages. Opetaia 5–0 with 4 KOs. Both won their most recent fights in 2026. |
| Styles Matchup | Benavidez: 6’1″, 74.5″ reach, orthodox, high-volume pressure fighter. Opetaia: 6’2″, 76″ reach, southpaw, counter-puncher with power |
| Recent Opponent Quality | Benavidez’s last 5: Gilberto Ramírez 48-1, Anthony Yarde 27-3, David Morrell 12-1, Oleksandr Gvozdyk 21-2, Demetrius Andrade 32-1. Opetaia’s last 5: Brandon Glanton 20-2, Huseyin Cinkara 22-0, Claudio Squeo 17-0, David Nyika 10-0, Jack Massey 22-2 |
| Weight Class Stakes | Both fighters moved to cruiserweight in 2024-2026. Benavidez claimed he would fight “anyone from 175 to 200” after beating Zurdo. |
| Pound-for-Pound Relevance | Benavidez is ranked in top 10 pound-for-pound lists after beating Zurdo. Opetaia is The Ring champion and #1 cruiserweight. |
| Market Appeal | Benavidez nicknamed “Mexican Monster” with U.S./Mexico fanbase. Opetaia is Australia’s biggest boxing star. Fight would unify U.S., Mexico, and Australian markets. |
The winner would catapult themselves surely to huge worldwide and international acclaim more so than they have achieved to date.
Maybe after that propelling the winner to a possible move up to the heavyweight division to look for fights with the likes of Usyk, Moses Itauma, Dubois and others.
Here’s the form book in the last five fights each for Jai Opetaia vs David Benavidez.
Benavidez may opt instead however to go to light-heavyweight next for the Dmitry Bivol fight.
Let’s see what happens with him next.
