Jai Opetaia vs. Noel Mikaelian has been added to the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn card.
Zuffa Boxing announced Tuesday that Opetaia and Mikaelian will meet in the co-main event on Sept. 12. The card streams on Paramount+ and DAZN, with Garcia vs. Benn still placed as the main event in Las Vegas.
The announcement framed the matchup around the top of the cruiserweight division. Opetaia brings his Ring championship status and unbeaten run into the bout, while Mikaelian enters as the WBC cruiserweight champion.
Cruiserweight Stakes Join Garcia-Benn
The booking keeps Opetaia active after a turbulent summer around sanctioning bodies. Opetaia’s IBF lawsuit over his Zuffa Boxing title strip put his belt situation into public view before this new co-main slot was announced.
Opetaia also made Zuffa Boxing history earlier this year when he beat Brandon Glanton to become the promotion’s first cruiserweight champion. That fight already has a full Opetaia vs. Glanton highlights recap, and this booking gives him another major Zuffa platform.
Mikaelian gives the fight real title weight. He is a two-time WBC cruiserweight champion, and the Opetaia matchup lands while the division is still sorting out its title routes around the WBC belt.
Why The Co-Main Matters
Garcia vs. Benn was already one of Zuffa Boxing’s biggest swings of 2026. The fight was first announced as a Sept. 12 WBC welterweight title fight, then picked up more attention when Dana White had to step between Garcia and Benn during a tense Fanatics Fest faceoff.
Opetaia vs. Mikaelian gives the card a second championship-level hook. The winner leaves Sept. 12 with a stronger claim in the cruiserweight division, and Zuffa Boxing gets a co-main event that stands on more than name value.
