Paulie Malignaggi believes David Benavidez must make a permanent commitment to cruiserweight if he defeats Noel Mikaelian. Rather than returning to light heavyweight, Malignaggi argues the next step should be a unification fight with champion Jai Opetaia.
The proposed Mikaelian bout represents more than a title defense or another opportunity to collect a belt. Malignaggi believes it would confirm that Benavidez intends to establish himself as a full-time cruiserweight instead of making a brief stop before moving back down.
“I think if Benavidez fights Mikaelian first and he beats him, then you’ve officially documented that you’re going to campaign at this weight class,” Malignaggi said during an interview with FightHype. “So now you’ve got to fight Opetaia. Originally, with the Zurdo fight, it looked like a one-off. It looked like, ‘Okay, this is a fight to make,’ and then he’d go back down. There was talk about that.”
Accepting a second cruiserweight championship bout changes the equation completely.
“If he fights Mikaelian, I think you’re basically etching it in stone that you’re looking to conquer the weight class. If you’re looking to conquer the weight class, then you’ve got to make the Opetaia fight,” said Malignaggi.
Benavidez captured the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles with his victory over Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, placing himself among the division’s biggest names. A victory over Mikaelian would strengthen his position at cruiserweight while setting up one of the division’s biggest fights. From Malignaggi’s perspective, Opetaia becomes the logical next opponent if Benavidez remains committed to campaigning at 200 pounds.
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Last Updated on 2026/08/01 at 4:04 AM
