Why Benavidez Isn’t Fighting Jai Opetaia
“I’m talking about businessmen,” Benavidez said on Brian Custer’s channel. “Zurdo Ramirez right now. That’s why I called this fight because there’s a lot of sauce behind this fight.”
That description doesn’t sit well with all of his messages. Benavidez has spent years establishing himself as a fighter willing to take on anyone, anywhere. In this case, the business argument serves as an ideal shield against one cruiserweight who will quickly test whether it is really yours at 200 pounds.
Opetaia is a slow, grind cruiserweight built one size fits all. He’s a quick southpaw with timing, reach, and real power, and he’s ready to be split. Against Ramirez, Benavidez will be the stronger man with the speed advantage. Against Opetaia, the apparent edge that defines Benavidez’s superiority disappears. War stops being about pressure and volume and becomes a test of skill and survival.
Instead of always answering that question, Benavidez made it clear that he wanted out. After Ramirez, he plans to return to light heavyweight to pursue either Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev.
A Hold the Belt at 200, Then Return Straight to 175
“I’m not going to stay there at cruiserweight,” said Benavidez. “I want to go up and take the cruiserweight titles. Then I want to go back down and fight Bivol or Beterbiev.”
It makes sense in that way. At 175 pounds, Benavidez is a big, physical fighter with room to hurt opponents. At cruiserweight, especially against Opetaia, he will be giving up that opportunity. The return to light heavyweight looks less like chasing after unfinished business and more like returning to familiar territory.
Benavidez also tied this short window into legacy talk, openly comparing his late career runs to Mayweather and Pacquiao. He treats the Ramirez fight as a punch-and-hold moment. Win unified titles, gain power, and tell the champions below that they must come to him on his terms.
“I’m not fooling anybody,” Benavidez said. “The question is, will I fight him? That’s not a question. I’ll fight anyone, but right now we’re taking the right steps.”
Those “reasonable steps” just happened to avoid one cruiserweight taking away the safety net. Calling it a business doesn’t change what it looks like from the outside. Benavidez rents the cruiserweight division long enough to collect the hardware, then leaves before the king of the division calls for his turn.
May’s fight with Ramirez still carries real risks. It will show if Benavidez can be effective at 200 pounds without dehydrating. It will also reveal how much of this leap is about growth, and how much about control. If Opetaia remains untouched while Benavidez grabs the belt and runs back to 175, silence will speak louder than any corporate excuse.
