It was an action-packed weekend for combat sports as there was plenty to go around for all tastes. In the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene, Noche UFC 4 went down in Glendale, Ariz., which saw Jean Silva tap Jose Miguel Delgado via third round submission in the headliner (highlights).
About 280 miles up the road, Dana White and Co. were busy putting on another event in Las Vegas, Nevada, this time in the boxing world with a major title fight that featured Zuffa star, Conor Benn, challenging Ryan Garcia for his WBC Welterweight strap.
For Garcia, it was his first defense after winning the strap earlier this year by defeating Mario Barrios. The victory further cemented his status as one of the faces of the sport in large part because he isn’t afraid to take on any and all challengers. In fact, since 2023, he has faced Benn, Barrios, Rolly Romero, Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis.
And Garcia is not ready to slow down one bit with the tough challenges — he was quick to call for a fight against WBA Super Welterweight division kingpin, Teofimo Lopez. And while the two men did have a cordial greeting prior to the fight, things got a bit tense after Lopez was denied entry to the ring (see it here). Nevertheless, it seems that is the fight to make next … and it will be great. If Garcia defeats Lopez his stock would get a huge boost and perhaps set up an even bigger fight against Shakur Stevenson down the road.
As for Opetaia, he took another big step in his quest to become the unified Cruiserweight champion by winning the vacant Regular WBA strap after stopping Mikaelian in round nine. Afterward, he took the time to call for his next challenge … and it was a big one. Indeed, Opetaia challenged current WBA super Cruiserweight and WBO champion, David Benavidez.
Unlike Lopez, Benavidez was not denied entry into the ring — despite White’s request that “The Mexican Monster” not go in. The two men shared a polite handshake and face off and agreed that a mega title unification fight between them would be what’s needed. Furthermore, they agreed to throw down on Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2027 in Las Vegas.
Of course, in boxing there are a lot of politics involved, and since Opetaia is signed with Zuffa that further complicates things. But, as we witnessed this past weekend with Garcia and Benn, it can be done. It’s long been said that Benavidez is the most-avoided fighter in boxing today. In fact, “The Mexican Monster” claimed Canelo Alvarez ducked him on several occasions, so he took the time to give Opetaia credit for actually calling for the fight.
Should these two mega-bouts gets made, how do you see them playing out?