David Benavidez bypassed Jai Opetaia before Mikaelian fight

David Benavidez has not pursued a fight against Jai Opetaia despite having the opportunity to do so after moving to the cruiserweight division. While Noel Mikaelian has secured a September 12 fight against Opetaia on the Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn card in Las Vegas, Benavidez has focused on other options.

Jai Opetaia has publicly criticized Benavidez, accusing him of avoiding the matchup. Following the announcement of the Mikaelian fight, the Australian fighter stated that Mikaelian stepped up while Benavidez continued to run and hide.

Former champion Sergio Mora has criticized Benavidez for potentially facing Michal Cieslak instead of Opetaia. Mora suggested that Benavidez should carry himself as the primary attraction and expressed frustration that Mikaelian secured the Opetaia fight.

Mora questioned the decision for Benavidez to potentially fight Cieslak, a Polish opponent, rather than the highly anticipated matchup with Opetaia. He argued that Benavidez should not be pushed aside by Mikaelian.

However, the suggestion that Mikaelian took a fight Benavidez wanted is not supported by the available history. There has been little evidence that Benavidez was actively seeking a contest with Opetaia.

If Benavidez moves forward with a fight against Cieslak, the outcome follows his own choice to pursue different paths. Mikaelian's decision to fight Opetaia occurred independently of Benavidez's lack of pursuit regarding the Australian fighter.