Zuffa Boxing officially announced the 12-round fight Tuesday. It is unclear whether Armenia’s Mikaelian will defend his belt against Australia’s Opetaia because the WBC ordered him to face WBA/WBO champ David Benavidez next May 29.

Regardless, Opetaia’s Ring title will be at stake against The Ring’s No. 5 contender.

“This is a huge card, and I look forward to showing the world once again why I’m the best cruisearweight on the planet,” Opetaia said in a press release issued by Zuffa Boxing. “Credit to Noel for stepping up to the plate while others – yes, David Benavidez, I’m talking about you – continue to run and hide.”

The Opetaia-Mikaelian match came together quickly, as representatives for Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) were in discussions with Benavidez’s handlers for a unification fight next.

Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 1 contender in the cruiserweight and light heavyweight divisions and No. 5 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list. The Phoenix native also holds the WBC light heavyweight title, though he might not return to the 175-pound division after moving up 25 pounds for his impressive sixth-round stoppage of Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez (48-2, 30 KOs) on May 2 at T-Mobile Arena.

It is rare for a champion to be ordered by a sanctioning body to face the owner of another governing organization’s belt. It occurred in part because Benavidez’s handlers petitioned the WBC on his behalf. Mikaelian could be stripped by the WBC for moving forward with this bout against Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs).

Mikaelian, 35, regained his WBC title via a unanimous decision in a rematch with Badou Jack on December 13 in Los Angeles. Sweden’s Jack won their first bout by a majority decision in May of last year.

“This is the fight I’ve wanted since becoming a two-time world champion, and I’m ready to deliver,” Mikaelian said. “I haven’t fought since December 2025 because of circumstances outside of my control. I refused to stay inactive. Champions are meant to defend their titles, and that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”

Opetaia, 31, last fought March 8, when he retained The Ring title by way of a dominant unanimous decision over Atlanta’s Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas. After beating Glanton (21-4, 18 KOs), the Sydney native was stripped of his IBF title for a second time after the New Jersey-based sanctioning body cited an issue with Opetaia and Glanton fighting for the Zuffa belt and stated it does not recognize that title.

Opetaia’s team took legal action by suing the IBF on July 14, when his attorney filed a 123-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. The strong southpaw seeks reinstatement as IBF champion and believes the IBF stripped him in retaliation for signing with Zuffa Boxing, an emerging promotional company in which Ring owner Turki Alalshikh has made a significant financial investment.

Opetaia also believes the IBF had no plans of sanctioning his bout against Glanton before he sent a $73,000 sanctioning fee that was promptly returned.

Garcia-Benn, Opetaia-Mikaelian and other undercard contests will be streamed on Paramount+ in the United States and DAZN in the UK and Ireland.