Jai Opetaia and Noel Mikaelian Face Off: Cruiserweight Unification Bout Edges Closer

During the Z01 tournament by Zuffa Boxing, an impromptu face-off took place between WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian and IBF titleholder Jai Opetaia. Rumors of a potential meeting between the two have circulated repeatedly in recent times.

Opetaia recently signed an agreement with Zuffa Boxing. Although promotion head Dana White previously stated he did not intend to cooperate with existing sanctioning bodies, an exception will be made for Opetaia. He will be permitted to fight for established belts in his quest to become the undisputed world champion.

Jai Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) had a stellar 2025, knocking out three opponents and successfully defending his title.

Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) fought twice last year against the same opponent, Badou Jack. He initially lost his belt but reclaimed it in the rematch.