Dana White Says Don King Dispute Won’t Stop Opetaia-Mikaelian

Zuffa Boxing intends to proceed with Jai Opetaia’s cruiserweight fight against Noel Mikaelian in Las Vegas on Saturday despite Don King Productions sending a cease-and-desist letter demanding its cancellation.

The bout is scheduled as the co-feature to Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn and is listed for The Ring cruiserweight championship. Opetaia enters as The Ring champion, while Mikaelian’s WBC status remains unresolved amid a separate dispute over an ordered fight with David Benavidez.

Dana White said on Tuesday that Mikaelian will fight as planned.

“He’s fighting this weekend,” White told reporters at Contender Series in Las Vegas. “If you look at us over the last 25 years, and now that we’re in boxing — this f—ing sport is the most unsophisticated sport I have ever seen in my life, it’s f—ed up for a reason.

“I’ve always had good dealings with Don. When have you ever seen a scenario with us where we go and try to interfere with someone’s contract? We don’t do it.”

King challenges Zuffa deal

DKP’s cease-and-desist, sent to TKO Group Holdings, claims King’s company holds exclusive worldwide promotional rights to Mikaelian and accuses Zuffa of tortious interference.

The letter demands the immediate cancellation of Opetaia-Mikaelian and says Mikaelian cannot enter into an agreement for his professional services without DKP’s express approval.

King’s side also argues that Zuffa was aware of its position before the fight was announced. The letter refers to previous discussions over a potential fight or multi-fight agreement involving Mikaelian and says White and Zuffa chief operating officer Harrison Whitman had taken part in at least one virtual meeting with King and DKP attorney Carl Lewis.

Mikaelian does not dispute that King remains his promoter, but his side maintains that an addendum to their agreement allows him to pursue third-party opportunities where they are more financially advantageous. Mikaelian has said that provision was used to secure the Opetaia fight and that his team believes it acted within the terms of the contract.

His adviser, Anthony Girges, has also argued that Mikaelian moved towards Opetaia because no firm offer for the ordered Benavidez fight had materialised despite the WBC directing the matchup more than two months earlier.

WBC position remains unresolved

The promotional dispute is separate from Mikaelian’s problems with the WBC.

The sanctioning body ordered Mikaelian to defend against Benavidez, but Mikaelian has asked to be allowed a voluntary defence instead. His position is that the proposed Benavidez fight did not come with a firm date or venue and that he could not remain inactive indefinitely while waiting for the situation to be resolved.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has indicated that Mikaelian could lose his title if he proceeds with Opetaia rather than fulfilling the Benavidez mandatory. The governing body had also sought clarification from King over Mikaelian’s intentions.

The dispute adds to a difficult promotional relationship between Mikaelian and DKP.

Mikaelian signed with King in 2022 while pursuing a title opportunity against Ilunga Makabu. He eventually stopped Makabu for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title in November 2023, before later being moved to champion-in-recess status following another period of inactivity. He lost a majority decision to Badou Jack in May 2025 before winning their December rematch to regain the belt.

Mikaelian has since publicly expressed frustration with how his career has been handled under King, while maintaining that he has continued to fulfil his responsibilities as a fighter.

Speaking to The Ring before the cease-and-desist became public, Mikaelian said the disputes involving King and the WBC had been mentally draining and costly, but that he had remained focused on training and was grateful to his team and TKO for keeping the fight alive. He also said he had stayed off social media for two months to avoid distractions heading into fight week.

The immediate question is whether DKP takes further legal action before Saturday.

For now, Zuffa’s position is that Opetaia-Mikaelian remains on. King is demanding that it be cancelled, while the WBC’s response to Mikaelian proceeding with the fight could determine what happens to his title status afterwards.