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Key points: - Noel Mikaelian says promotional disputes with Don King left him inactive for years before he signed with Zuffa Boxing to face Jai Opetaia - He claims he never received formal paperwork for a proposed unification fight with David Benavidez despite agreeing to it - Mikaelian says his new manager secured him the right to pursue outside opportunities - He remains open to fighting Benavidez later, possibly in December or January Noel Mikaelian says years of promotional gridlock with Don King, not a lack of opportunities, kept him out of the ring before he finally broke free to sign for his September 12 fight against Jai Opetaia. “He put the contract in front of me, ‘you’re signing this right now.’ I was like ‘no, I’m not,'” Mikaelian recalled to The Ring, describing how he originally ended up with King in the first place, on advice that it was the only path to a mandatory title shot. The frustration boiled over around a proposed unification bout with David Benavidez that never materialised on paper. “With the Benavidez fight, I agreed to it immediately and passed more than 60 days and I never received an agreement,” he said. “I have to make a living, I have to fight. I can’t wait forever. I’m already getting gray hair.” Mikaelian said hiring a new manager was what finally broke the logjam, securing him the right to pursue fights outside King’s control. That’s how the Opetaia fight came together instead, a move he insists doesn’t close the door on Benavidez permanently. He’s previously said the winner of the two current cruiserweight matchups could still meet the loser’s rival in December or January. King has offered a different account, telling BoxingScene that Mikaelian already had a signed agreement in place for the Benavidez fight, with a $1 million purse he says was secured on Mikaelian’s behalf. Whichever version holds up, Mikaelian now finds himself fighting for Zuffa Boxing on one of the year’s biggest cards regardless of how the paperwork dispute resolves.