WBC strips Noel Mikaelian, elevates Michal Cieslak and orders Jai Opetaia fight

The WBC has stripped Noel Mikaelian of its cruiserweight title, elevated interim champion Michal Cieslak and ordered Jai Opetaia to face the winner of Cieslak’s planned defence against David Benavidez.

The sanctioning body announced its decision on Monday, two days after Mikaelian suffered a ninth-round stoppage defeat by Opetaia at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The WBC belt was not at stake after Mikaelian went ahead with the fight despite being ordered to defend against Benavidez.

The WBC said it had made “numerous attempts and undertook countless efforts to bring all interested parties together toward reaching the necessary agreements”. Cieslak, 28-2 (22 KOs), is due to face Benavidez, 32-0 (26 KOs), on December 12, with the bout expected to take place in the greater Phoenix area.

Benavidez was installed as Mikaelian’s mandatory challenger on May 29 after his representatives petitioned the WBC. The unbeaten American holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, as well as the WBC light-heavyweight belt, after stopping Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in the sixth round in May.

Mikaelian and Benavidez had been working towards a December 12 fight in Glendale, Arizona, before Mikaelian signed to challenge Opetaia on the Zuffa Boxing-backed card. Mikaelian said he had accepted the proposed fight but had not received the final paperwork, while promoter Don King maintained that a $1 million offer had been made and that Mikaelian was obliged to accept it.

“With the Benavidez fight, I agreed to it immediately, and [more than] 60 days [passed],” Mikaelian said before facing Opetaia. “I never received an agreement. … I have to make a living. I have to fight. I have to make a career. I can’t wait forever.”

King sent Zuffa Boxing a cease-and-desist letter during fight week, but the contest proceeded with Opetaia’s Ring championship and the Zuffa Boxing title at stake. Mikaelian argued that an addendum to his agreement with King allowed him to accept a better offer and said he received a seven-figure purse to face Opetaia. He acknowledged before the bout that the decision could cost him the WBC title.

Cieslak won the interim belt by stopping former light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal in the fourth round in June 2025. The Pole has won seven successive fights since losing a unanimous decision to Lawrence Okolie in a 2022 WBO title challenge. He was also outpointed by Junior Makabu for the vacant WBC belt in 2020.

Opetaia improved to 31-0 (24 KOs) by stopping Mikaelian and then faced off with Benavidez in the ring. They verbally agreed to fight in May 2027, but Benavidez would have to defeat Cieslak to take the WBC title into that proposed meeting. Under the WBC’s order, Opetaia is next in line for the winner of the December 12 bout.