Key points:
- David Benavidez has reportedly reached a verbal agreement to face WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian in November
- A win would leave only the vacant IBF title standing between Benavidez and undisputed status
- The IBF title will be contested separately between Floyd Masson and David Nyika on August 8
- Jai Opetaia’s loss of the IBF belt significantly softened Benavidez’s remaining path
David Benavidez is closing in on a three-belt cruiserweight unification fight that would leave him one win away from becoming undisputed champion of the division.
EverythingBoxing’s Darshan Desai reported that promoter Sampson Lewkowicz told BoxingScene a verbal agreement is in place for Benavidez to face WBC titleholder Noel Mikaelian, with contracts expected to be finalised this week for a November date.
A win would add the WBC strap to the WBA and WBO titles Benavidez already holds, leaving only the vacant IBF championship in his way. That final obstacle looks considerably smaller than it did a few months ago. Jai Opetaia, long considered the division’s most dangerous fighter because of his southpaw pressure and durability, lost the IBF title, reshaping the entire picture at cruiserweight.
Instead of Opetaia, the vacant belt goes up for grabs between Floyd Masson and David Nyika on August 8, with Viddal Riley already positioned to challenge whoever wins. Neither name carries Opetaia’s reputation, meaning Benavidez’s route to full unification no longer runs through the fighter many considered his toughest possible test.