Opetaia-Mikaelian might not have been nearly as appealing as Opetaia versus David Benavidez, but at least The Ring champion would’ve opposed one of his top five contenders. That blueprint was also indicative of just how important sanctioning body belts remain to modern-day boxers, even those who’ve signed with Zuffa.

Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) had every reason to abandon belts altogether after his very public dispute with the IBF before and after his last bout, a points defeat of Brandon Glanton in his Zuffa debut March 8 in Las Vegas. The unbeaten Australian champion’s willingness to fight for the WBC belt soon after the IBF stripped him showed, though, that Zuffa must deal with the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO longer than its decision-makers had hoped.

Then Zuffa’s hierarchy received yet another reminder as to why the company’s mission to deemphasize the importance of sanctioning organizations couldn’t be completed soon enough.

Rather than allowing Mikaelian to fight Opetaia, the WBC ordered him to box Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs), the newly crowned WBA and WBO champ. Sanctioning bodies almost never mandate that a champion faces a rival titleholder.

The WBC hid behind Benavidez’s request to meet Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) next as its justification for ordering that bout. Benavidez also holds the WBC light heavyweight title and, as a high earner, clearly has some leverage with the WBC.

It was still fairly obvious that the WBC attempted to block Opetaia from fighting Mikaelian because, like Zuffa Boxing, the Mexico City-based organization needs to protect its own interests. Unlike Opetaia, neither Mikaelian nor Benavidez are affiliated with Zuffa.

In addition to disrupting Zuffa’s championship strategy for Opetaia, the WBC will make more money from Benavidez-Mikaelian than its cut from Opetaia-Mikaelian.

If Benavidez remains at cruiserweight for another fight and battles Mikaelian next, it’ll likely leave Opetaia to face the winner of what figures to be an entertaining bout between former WBO champ Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki. Billam-Smith and Canada’s Rozicki will headline Zuffa’s first card in the UK on Saturday night in Bournemouth, England, Billam-Smith’s hometown.

Matching Billam-Smith (21-2, 13 KOs) or Rozicki (21-1-1, 20 KOs) against Opetaia is interesting. It just won’t afford Opetaia an opportunity to fight for one of the alphabet belts he clearly values, despite that he signed with Zuffa.

Luckily for the company Dana White fronts, it has the requisite financial resources to play the very long game. Because if the cruiserweight issues Zuffa has encountered since announcing the Opetaia signing are an accurate gauge of what’s to come, marginalizing sanctioning bodies might become more of an uphill battle than its leadership anticipated.

The dramatic post-fight confrontation between O’Shaquie Foster and Shakur Stevenson seemed like a perfect promotional tool to use for them to fight next.

It’s still unlikely because there are more sensible business options for both fighters.

First and foremost, Stevenson seeks higher-profile fights and expects bigger paydays than he’d make for facing Foster after his impressive victory over Teofimo Lopez in the main event of “The Ring 6” card January 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York. As rumors persist regarding Stevenson signing with Zuffa Boxing, the four-division champion mentioned several more marketable bouts before he confronted Foster in the ring Saturday night in Houston.

There shouldn’t be any reason, either, why Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. can’t make an appealing 130-pound title unification bout between Foster and Emanuel Navarrete next.

Navarrete (40-2-1, 33 KOs, 1 NC), who owns the IBF and WBO belts, and Foster (25-3, 12 KOs), the WBC champ, are both promoted by Top Rank.

If Navarrete and Foster fought, the winner would be widely viewed as the top fighter in the 130-pound division. Mexico’s Navarrete is ranked No. 1 by The Ring and Houston’s Foster is the No. 2 contender for a vacant championship.

Foster is also taller than Navarrete, whereas moving up two divisions to challenge Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs), The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champ, would be riskier from a physical standpoint.

The ever-improving Foster is very skillful, yet Stevenson looked much bigger than him when they went face to face. Navarrete, meanwhile, would have to squeeze down to the junior lightweight limit, which could work to Foster’s advantage.

Regardless, Navarrete should fight Foster next, even if it means giving up his WBO belt. The WBO has ordered him to face Filipino contender Charly Suarez in a rematch Suarez deserves, but the Foster fight is more meaningful and would earn the unified champion a bigger purse.

It wasn’t encouraging to hear promoter Eddie Hearn mention Callum Smith first when he discussed potential opponents for Dmitry Bivol after The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight champ beat overmatched Michael Eifert easily Saturday night in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Hearn’s company, Matchroom Boxing, promotes Bivol and Smith. Whoever’s truly responsible for paying Bivol, however, should insist that he fight Artur Beterbiev or David Benavidez next. England’s Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) is a credible opponent, but Beterbiev knocked him out in January 2024 and there is simply no need, nor any demand, for Bivol to fight him.

Beyond that, Bivol (25-1, 12 KOs) was already afforded 12 rounds and a seven-figure purse to ensure that he was fully recovered from back surgery in what amounted to a tune-up fight.

■ Speaking of Bivol, it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that he went the distance with Eifert, even after he dropped the German contender with a left hook in the first round. Russia’s Bivol has gone all 12 rounds in 12 of his 13 fights since August 2018. His only knockout during that stretch was a sixth-round stoppage of Malik Zinad in June 2024.

■ The WBO’s installation of Keyshawn Davis as its No. 1 challenger for welterweight champ Devin Haney was a rare instance in which a sanctioning body used its influence for the betterment of the sport, not just its coffers. It doesn’t guarantee that two of the most talented fighters in the sport will box next, of course. But at least it’s a more realistic possibility than it was when Davis was listed in the WBO’s junior welterweight ratings. The WBO noted Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) has until August to defend his title versus Davis (15-0, 10 KOs, 1 NC).

■ Rico Verhoeven has handled his controversial 11th-round, technical-knockout loss to Oleksandr Usyk with complete professionalism. The kickboxing legend has taken responsibility during his subsequent media tour for the tactical mistakes and fatigue that enabled Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs) to knock him down late in the 11th round. He also pointed out the errors referee Mark Lyson made without espousing conspiracy theories. Verhoeven obviously wants a rematch he definitely deserves as soon as possible. For now, he’ll settle for someone in an official capacity acknowledging that the end of the 11th round was mishandled.