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The title of the best cruiserweight on the planet is the prize as world champions Jai Opetaia and Noel Mikaelian face off in the co-main event of the Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn card at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, September 12. Watch All The Action Saturday On Paramount+ The two champions have taken very different paths to their respective titles, and now they’ll go head-to-head in Las Vegas in a bid to end the night as the unified cruiserweight champion of the world and move one big step closer to undisputed status. Jai Opetaia: Undefeated phenom Name: Jai Opetaia Record: 30-0-0 (23 KOs) Age: 31 Professional debut: August 2015 World title experience: Reigning cruiserweight world champion. Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight world champion. Last time out: March 8, 2026 - Defeated Brandon Glanton via unanimous decision (119-106, 119-106, 119-106) to retain the cruiserweight world title and win the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass! Upgrade licenceThis video is not available in your country There was a problem while loading content. Please try again. After seven years spent sharpening his skills, climbing the cruiserweight ladder, and collecting a host of regional titles, Jai Opetaia captured world championship gold back in 2022 with a unanimous decision victory over Mairis Breidis to achieve his dream of becoming a world champion. But that win was only the start for the New Zealander, who has since scaled the mountain to become one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. Opetaia stopped Jordan Thompson in London in September 2023 as he registered his first world championship defense, then added another with a first-round knockout of Ellis Zorro in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as he took his skills global. Limited Tickets Remain For Garcia vs Benn; Get Yours Here A rematch with Breidis followed in Riyadh, and Opetaia repeated the feat as he claimed a second unanimous decision win over the Latvian former champion. Then a TKO finish of Jack Massey in October 2024 completed three straight title defenses in Saudi Arabia. Opetaia’s star was growing, and a hat-trick of knockout victories followed, with the Kiwi finishing David Nyika, Claudio Squeo and Huseyin Cinkara, all on Australia’s Gold Coast. He was, by many judges’ assessments, the best cruiserweight on the planet, but he needed a bigger platform from which to prove it. That prompted Opetaia to make the biggest move of his career as he signed with Zuffa Boxing, and his promotional debut saw him outpoint Brandon Glanton over 12 rounds to add the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight world title to his growing collection of belts. But with more belts in his sights, and undisputed status his ultimate goal, Opetaia set his sights on the other sanctioning body champions. WATCH: Road To Garcia vs Benn And on September 12, he’ll face off against one of them, as he looks to add another belt to his resumé by defeating Noel Mikaelian at T-Mobile Arena. Noel Mikaelian: Persistence pays off Name: Noel Mikaelian Nickname: “Dark Horse” Record: 28-3-0 (12 KOs) Age: 35 Professional debut: May 2011 World title experience: Two-time cruiserweight world champion Last time out: December 13, 2025 - Defeated Badou Jack via unanimous decision (116-110, 115-111, 116-110) to win the cruiserweight world title Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass! Upgrade licenceThis video is not available in your country There was a problem while loading content. Please try again. Born in Armenia and raised as a German national, Noel Mikaelian has spent a decade and a half building his record and developing his skills to become a world champion. That dream didn’t come to fruition until as recently as November 2023, when he stopped Ilunga Makabu in the third round to capture a sanctioning body’s vacant cruiserweight world title. Mikaelian eventually lost the belt after being unable to compete due to a legal dispute, but eventually returned to the ring to replace an injured Ryan Rozicki as he faced the man who took up the mantle during his absence – Badou Jack – in Riyadh. Their first matchup ended with Jack edging a majority decision, but in their rematch, in Los Angeles one year later, Mikaelian got his revenge as he claimed the unanimous decision victory and reclaimed the title he never lost in the ring. Now Mikaelian, 35, is ready to put his version of the world title on the line against Jai Opetaia’s titles as the pair get set for a championship unification battle at T-Mobile Arena on September 12.