Jai Opetaia Wants the Benavidez Fight in Writing: 'Send Me the Date'

Jai Opetaia isn't celebrating a David Benavidez fight until there's a signature on a contract. The undefeated lineal cruiserweight champion, 30-0 with 23 knockouts, told Ring Magazine he doesn't care about the venue or the date — he just wants the bout made concrete, and he's happy to show up wherever the paperwork says.

The two have verbally agreed to meet on Cinco de Mayo weekend of 2027, a collision of unbeaten records that would put 62 fights and zero losses on the line. Benavidez sits at 32-0 (26 KO) and holds the WBO and WBA cruiserweight straps after dethroning Gilberto Ramírez via sixth-round stoppage in May, a win that made the 29-year-old a three-division world champion.

Business Before the Belt Fight

Opetaia knows exactly where he stands in the negotiation. He acknowledged that Benavidez and his camp are the ones picking the dates and locations, effectively casting himself as the B-side despite being a world-level, undefeated champion in his own right. His message was simple: send the date, send the location, and he'll be there.

That deference makes sense given Benavidez's schedule. Before any 2027 showdown, 'The Mexican Monster' is expected to face WBC champion Michal Cieslak in a three-belt unification bout on December 12. The 37-year-old Cieslak was only elevated from interim to full WBC champion this week, after Noel Mikaelian — 28-3 (12 KO) — was stripped following a ninth-round stoppage loss to Opetaia last weekend.

Why Opetaia Is the Real Test

Here's the wrinkle: even beltless in that particular sanctioning-body sense, Opetaia is widely viewed as the most dangerous name on Benavidez's dance card. The lineal title carries weight, and a 30-0 record built partly on power tells you why. His last outing was a unanimous-decision win over Brandon Glanton, but the Mikaelian result showed he can close the show when it counts.

The good news for fans is that the interest is mutual. Opetaia said it was encouraging to share the ring with Benavidez after the Mikaelian fight and to hear him commit to the matchup out loud. Now he just wants those words turned into a contract. Until then, the biggest fight cruiserweight can offer stays a handshake — and Opetaia's patience only stretches as far as the next fax machine.