David Benavidez called out Jai Opetaia following his impressive victory over Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. The Australian has now responded to the callout.
Benavidez squared off against Ramirez on May 2 at T-Mobile Arena for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles.
‘The Monster’ moved 25 pounds up for the fight, and his punches seem heavier than ‘Zurdo’s’ at a fast pace since he moved up from the lighter division.
As the bell rang, Benavidez put pressure and started breaking Ramirez with each passing round. A significant moment came in the fourth round when the 34-year-old was knocked down and took a knee at the end of the round.
In the sixth round, Benavidez landed great hooks that shut down Ramirez‘s right eye. He took a knee, the referee started the countdown, and before the count reached 10, he gave up and lost his titles via knockout.
Benavidez calls for Opetaia clash after statement KO victory
There were questions about how Benavidez would view the cruiserweight division. He answered all with a victory. Following the win, a reporter asked him about Jai Opetaia’s potential fight. He asserted that he ain’t afraid of anyone and expressed openness for the potential in a showdown.
“I mean, I think that’s the biggest fight in the world, especially at this weight division, you know, and that’s definitely a fight I want,” Benavidez said. “Like I said, I’m not scared of nobody. This is Monstros’s world, and if he wants to get that fight, we get that fight.”
He emphasized his willingness to face the Opetaia and suggested the fight could have already happened under different circumstances. He questioned the Australians ’ decision to sign with Dana White’s new boxing venture, Zuffa Boxing.
“I don’t know why he went to Zuffa. We could have made this fight right after this one, you know, but now I don’t know if he got stripped by the IBF or what it is. I’m not going to go over there and fight for the title, but I mean I don’t know.”
Benavidez asserted that he won’t move to Zuffa for the fight despite being interested in a showdown with the Australian.
“I think that would be a great fight to make in the future and I respect Jai a lot. He’s a great fighter and I think he has to come back over here to make these fights happen because we can’t make fights in Zuffa. So that’s what I wanted,”
Opetaia responds to Benavidez as Zuffa move and IBF decision complicate fight
Opetaia did not take long to respond. Taking to X, he acknowledged Benavidez’s victory and hinted at a future clash.
“Enjoy your victory champ… See you soon!!!”
Enjoy your victory champ… See you soon!!!
— Jai Opetaia (@jaiopetaia1) May 3, 2026
Opetaia’s signing with Zuffa has complicated things for the Australian. The IBF’s decision to strip Opetaia came after his recent bout against Brandon Glanton was not sanctioned as a title fight.
The governing body does not recognize certain promotional titles, which led to the move, even though Opetaia won the contest.
As a result, the cruiserweight division now faces uncertainty, with multiple champions and promotional alignments affecting potential matchups.
